Guardian 'Angels'
by EriceGen
Summary: Shinji was called to Tokyo-3 by his father. However, he finds a succubus named Morrigan on the way and she tags along. But why is she there in the first place? Shinji-Rei.
1. Chapter 1

Guardian 'Angels'

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

Don't Own NGE

* * *

"He's getting away!"

"Stop him! He mustn't get away! Or it would all have been for naught!" Ryu roared, stating the obvious.

"Shit! Shadow Blade!" Morrigan, who was closest to Onslaught, made a final assault on the cyborg.

"Uarg!"

"Got him!"

"Heh... heh, heh... Ha ha ha ha ha! You think this is it? That it's over? In your dreams, you useless bunch of fools!" Onslaught laughed, as he hunched over slightly, reaching for his core, triggering a button.

"What the-!"

"His core! It's gonna...!"

"No! Morrigan! Get away from there!"

"No shit!" Morrigan yelled as she tried to run away from the enormous entity. But she knew it was hopeless. _"No. it's too late for me to escape. I'm to close to him… too far from safety..."_

"_Despair not. It has not yet ended. You are needed. Someplace else..."_

"_What the...?"_

Those were her last thoughts, before she felt her body being consumed by the blast from Onslaught's core.

* * *

"As of 12.30 PM today, a special state of emergency has been declared..."

Shinji sighed as he glanced at the picture of a woman in her twenties. 'What am I doing? I should be in a shelter by now... but I just had to try the phone,' he sighed to himself as he turned away from the phone.

There wasn't another soul around for as far as he can... see? Shinji found himself staring at a girl in school uniform, standing in the middle of the road. 'Why is she still out here? Shouldn't she be in one of the shelters?' Shinji thought as he was about to call out to her. But he was distracted by a flock of birds flying off. When he turned back to the girl, he found her... gone. 'What the?'

A strong gust of wind suddenly blew, bringing along a sonic boom causing him to cringe as the shutters of a nearby shop rattled. He recovered quickly and turned in the direction where the noise was.

A squadron of VTOLs appeared from behind a hill, surprising Shinji. The VTOLs were military aircraft. They were hardly ever seen unless it was an important occasion. So why were there so many of them? But as the next entity came into view, Shinji gasped. It was monstrous! And it looked like something out of a nightmare.

Before he could even properly recover from his shock, a couple of missiles zoomed at him, rounding the building before flying upwards at the monster. Every missile exploded upon contact, knocking it back only slightly. It appeared to have no effect as it recovered, and shot something out of its palm.

Shinji gasped as the beam impaled the closest VTOL, causing it to crash close to him. Dumbly, he stared, unaware of the danger the downed aircraft posed to him. That was until the monster jumped and landed on the plane.

He cried out, falling onto the ground as the crushed plane exploded. He threw his arms up to protect himself from the shrapnel... but it never came. He lowered his hands as the explosion ended, only to find a blue care parked in from of him.

The driver opened the door. "I'm sorry! Were you waiting long?" she greeted. "But forget it! Get in the car!" she ordered. Shinji rushed over to the passenger side, climbing in quickly.

The moment he was seated and buckled in, the driver shifted gears into reverse. Just in time to have a barrage of debris fall on the car, leaving dents in the top. The car revved to avoid being smashed under the creature's foot.

The driver of the car made her way to the hills, where she took out a pair of military binoculars, leaned over Shinji and began observing the monster's progress. Even though they were far away, Shinji could distinctly make out the dots which were the VTOLs scattering away from the area.

"What! They're going to use an N2 mine? Get down!" she pulled her head back into the car, forcing Shinji against the seat and draping herself over him like a cover. Less than a second after she did, Shinji heard an extremely loud explosion. A shockwave followed, flipping the car over as it hit. Shinji was grateful for the driver's quick thinking, which probably save his life.

Once the shockwave had passed over them, they popped up to look at the enormous cloud, the wind from the shock blowing their hair around wildly. Shinji was amazed at the sheer power of the bomb.

"Are you alright?" the driver questioned him concernedly.

"Yeah... but my mouth is full of dirt," he answered as they checked themselves for any sign of injuries outside the vehicle, which was now on its side. It was only then he realised that the driver was the person he was supposed to meet. Miss Misato Katsuragi.

"That's okay. Now then... Let's go!" she pulled him to his feet, and then pressed her back against the car. He followed suit, pushing when she called, "push!"

It took several tries, but they managed to get the car back on its wheels. "Thanks for the hand. I really appreciate it," she told him as she clapped her hands together to get rid of the dust.

"Thank you too, Miss Katsuragi."

"Misato is fine," the violet haired woman told him, taking off her glasses. "I'm glad that we've met at last. Now. Let's go look for some supplies. The car's gonna need something to hold it together..." she turned to inspect her car, pretending not to be sad at the amount of damage the car sustained.

"O-okay," he muttered. They split off to cover more ground. Shinji headed for the forested area, since the place appeared to be the least damaged by the blast. There might be a house there, and they could find something to hold the car together with...

He looked around, but there seemed to be nothing useful. There was a wooden shed in there, but it had come apart at the force of the shockwave and if there were anything it there, they had been blown away. He wandered further, his hand cupping his eye to help him see further. Which resulted in him ignoring anything immediately in front of him. That was, until he tripped.

He recovered quickly, rubbing his forehead which had slammed into a tree. He turned around to see what had tripped him. And let loose an ear piercing scream, covering his eyes. When he finished screaming, he quickly knelt down next to the unconscious woman whom he had tripped over, although his hands lowered more slowly. "Hello? Miss? Are you alright?" he shook the woman gently.

He looked around nervously, wondering if Misato had heard his scream, and was looking for him. He felt really awkward. Him being with an unconscious woman was bad, but he was with an unconscious woman who appeared to be _skimpily_ dressed.

Apparently, Misato hadn't heard his shout since she did not appear after several minutes. Blushing heavily, he turned the woman over, still trying to wake her up.

"Uh..."

Shinji was surprised when the woman suddenly let out a moan of pain, causing him to move away slightly. "Hey, are you alright, miss?" he asked.

The woman rubbed the back of her head as she sat up, eyes still closed. "I-I think so," she replied as she opened her eyes to look at him. "Hey! Who are you?" she suddenly snapped sharply. "Where am I?"

"You're in Tokyo, miss. Are you sure you're alright?" Shinji crouched down so that he would be at eye level with the woman.

"I'm fine!" she snapped. "Where's Onslaught! I should've killed him, but his core exploded or something..."

"What are you talking about, miss?" Shinji frowned a little.

"What? You don't know who Onslaught is? What the hell is going on here?" she got up, placing one hand on her hip.

"I don't know. There was some kind of giant monster invasion or something. A bomb was dropped so I figured that you were injured because of the shockwaves or something..."

"Damn. I get rid of a big monster, another appears. Great."

"Um... may I know your name, miss?" Shinji asked tentatively. "I'm Shinji Ikari."

"Morrigan. Morrigan Aensland. You know the way around here?" she glanced at the boy.

"Not really. I've just came here. I'm supposed to... LOOK FOR SUPPLIES!" he suddenly shouted as he remembered his task. "I'm sorry, Miss Aensland, but I've got to go look for supplies to patch up my... temporary guardian's car," Shinji apologised.

"Well, guess what. I'm sticking with you," Morrigan smiled slyly. "I've got no freaking idea where am I. I'll need a guide. Since you have one, I'll be following you." _"Not to mention, maybe take your soul, if I feel like it."_

"I won't mind your following me, but I don't think I'll enjoy letting you take my soul, Miss Aensland. And I doubt that you'll enjoy trying to take my soul as well," Shinji turned his head to look at her.

"W-what!" Morrigan stared at him, flabbergasted. "How did you read my thoughts?"

Shinji gave her a sad smile. "It's a secret," he told her, before heading back to where the car was, hoping that Misato won't be angry at him for not being able to find anything.

Morrigan stared at the retreating back of the boy, her mouth wide open. She had been living for so long, and had yet to find anyone who could actually read her thoughts without her noticing. That was, even if they could. Yet, this boy had managed to, without straining himself or letting her know.

Still, she quickly recovered, flicking her hand. A swarm of bats materialised and covered her body, disappearing as suddenly as they had appeared. Once the bats were gone, she was dressed in a pair of grey long pants and a white blouse. Her usual outfit was too conspicuous. Quickly, she followed Shinji out of the forest, to where the car was.

* * *

"Shinji! Where were you? You know how much trouble I would be in if I had lost you again?" Misato called out to him irritably. "You found anything useful?"

"Well... I found a shack, but it was blown away and everything was gone. But I did find someone though," he pointed to the edge of the forest just as Morrigan was appeared. "Miss Aensland seems to have lost her way."

"Oh..." Misato stared at the woman as she approached. The woman had light green hair which she wondered if it was natural. Still, she won't be surprised if it was. Rei had blue hair, and it was natural. "Miss Aensland? Why aren't you in a shelter?" she asked as soon as the woman was in hearing range.

"Shelter? What for?" Morrigan asked as she approached.

Misato stared at the woman. "There was a public announcement ordering all civilians to evacuate to the nearest shelter. Didn't you hear it?"

Morrigan arched an eyebrow. "Nope. And I don't think I need to, do I?"

Misato felt a vein twitch. The day hadn't been good for her. First, she had volunteered to fetch Shinji since she was the only NERV personnel who was free and had a car. But she had lost Shinji, found him when he was almost killed by an explosion, driven out here to find herself caught in the after-effects of a N2 mine explosion, found her car almost destroyed while she still hadn't finished paying for it, and ruined her only good looking dress. And now, an odd woman stood in front of her, acting like she owned the world, and that public announcements didn't apply to her.

"You are a civilian. And if anything happens to you if you aren't in a shelter despite being warned, the government is not accountable for any injuries or death sustained," Misato told her curtly.

"Misato, maybe she was too far away from the city to hear the announcement? This is quite far away and she was in the woods too," Shinji suggested.

Misato blinked. She had not thought of that. And after looking around, she had to agree. It was quite some distance away from the city. "Fine... anyway, Shinji. We better get going. I don't want to get into trouble with the brass."

"May I follow you?" Morrigan asked.

Misato turned to her sharply. "What!"

"I have no idea where I am, what is happening, or where to go. So I'll need a guide to show me around. And since you're the only other person around who actually seems to know the way around, I need to follow you," Morrigan explained. She felt like just killing the violet haired woman there and then, but she needed her help.

"I'm sorry, but you can't. The place I'm taking Shinji to is classified and not for civilians. I can direct you to the closest city though," Misato answered curtly.

Morrigan smiled coyly. "Oh really? But I don't feel like going to the closest city. I want to find out what is so classified..."

Misato was about to pop. Who the hell did this Aensland woman think she was? This was government stuff! Not some kind of plaything for civilians to muck around with. "Listen woman. I'm running out of time and patience. I suggest that you disappear, before I have to arrest you."

"I'd love to see you try," Morrigan's coy smile never left her face as she got ready to reveal her true form.

"Misato!" Shinji called to the woman, causing her to turn. "I think you can let her come. She won't cause any trouble and I'm sure that she won't interfere with anything, am I right, Miss Aensland?" Shinji turned to the other woman.

Morrigan blinked in surprise. She had not expected the boy to stick up for her. "Yes. I promise. And I'll even stay invisible!" she told Misato.

Misato frowned deeply. She did not know exactly what to do in this kind of situation... but they were running out of time. She was supposed to get Shinji to NERV ASAP and they had already wasted too much time. "Get in. And you will not leave my sight once you enter my car, got it?" Misato ordered Morrigan.

* * *

"Got it."

"The gates are now closing. Please stand clear," the computerised voice announced as multiple layers of steel panels closed off the entrance to NERV behind them.

"NERV, huh?" Shinji muttered as he continued looking out the window.

"Yes. It's a secret organization under the control of the united nations," Misato explained.

"So that's where my father is?"

"Well... yeah," the violet haired woman replied. "Do you know what he does?"

"Not really. Except that my teachers told me that it was important to the safety of the human race," Shinji told her, looking out the window.

"What is he? The next martyr, or Jesus Christ?" Morrigan scoffed.

Misato shot a glare at the woman in the backseat which was poisonous enough to kill a human ten times over, if looks could kill.

"You'll be taking me to my father?" Shinji muttered as he stared forward blankly.

Yes. Yes, I think so," Misato turned away from the smug woman and looked out the car. "Oh yeah, did you get an ID from your father?" she turned to Shinji.

"Y-yeah, it's in here somewhere," he muttered, digging through his bag, pulling out a very crumpled piece of paper and a card.

"Great. Here, read this," she took out a booklet from the glove compartment.

"Wow. They even produced a booklet?" Morrigan leaned over Shinji's seat to look at the booklet which was bound by a tape reading 'for your eyes only'. "So much for a secret agency," she smirked.

Shinji ignored her, but directed his next question at the fuming Misato. "Am I going to be working for him?"

Misato fell silent, since she had no answer to his question. Her orders were simply to get him to NERV safe and sound. Fortunately for her, Shinji came to his own conclusion.

"Of course. He won't have sent for me unless he needed me for something," he turned away to look out the car, which was moving by now.

Morrigan similarly fell silent as she contemplated this. "Hmm, looks like you don't get along with your dad," she said softly. "It's almost the same with me," she added, not revealing that she had almost forgotten that she had a father at all.

"... Same here, it's the same with me," Misato agreed grudgingly.

"Uh...?" Shinji looked at both women in surprise, not expecting that they would say something like that. Most adults would tell him that his father probably missed him, or some other crap. No one he knew had ever told him that they didn't get along with their fathers.

Suddenly, the tunnel opened up into open space. Structures hung down the underside of the ceiling while the water beneath them glittering orange and red in the light of the setting sun. "Awesome! A real geofront!" Shinji exclaimed.

"That's right," Misato responded, smiling a little, seeing the teenage boy so awestruck at the view. "It's our secret base, NERV headquarters," she explained, indicating the pyramid shaped structure. "This is the key to rebuilding our world, a fortress for mankind."

"This place is impressive, I gotta admit. But how come there's light from the sun when we're underground?" Morrigan asked. Her tone wasn't condescending or smug, but curious.

Misato shrugged. "Don't ask me. I didn't build this place or designed it," she informed the other woman.

"Oh. Well, it's still impressive," Morrigan murmured.

* * *

"What on earth? Isn't this the right way?" Misato muttered as she consulted the utterly confusing map for the umpteenth time as the steel double doors opened, flinging a gust of wind at the trio. "It's because of this that I can't wear a skirt," she grumbled.

Only Morrigan heard her, since Shinji was too busy reading about the secrets of NERV. The succubus smirked as she took that comment into account. It would draw attention to her if she did wear a skirt; only to have it blown up... she could only imagine the number of victims trying to hit on her after that.

"And where the heck is Ritsuko?" Misato continued mumbling to herself as she tried to tell their location from the map. "Sorry about this. I'm just not used to this place yet," she confessed.

"We passed this spot just a little while ago," Shinji spoke up, having heard Misato despite reading all this time.

Misato cringed a little at that comment. "Don't worry about it. They made these systems to be used, you know," she said aloud. She had almost forgotten about Morrigan.

The succubus had been rather quiet since they stepped into NERV. One of the reasons was because she had promised Misato to stay 'invisible'; another reason was because she had been tracing a mental map of the area. In case she needed, or wanted, to revisit this place.

They ended up taking the lift up wards. However, the lift stopped on the twenty-eighth floor, instead of the thirty-second.

"Uh, hiya Ritsuko," Misato greeted as the door opened to reveal a blond hair woman dressed in a swimsuit and a lab coat.

The said woman entered the lift as well, her concentration focused on the violet haired woman which resulted in her ignoring the other two occupants of the lift. "Why are you wasting my time, captain Katsuragi?" Ritsuko questioned curtly. "Aren't you aware that we're short on both time and manpower?"

"Sorry," Misato apologised half-heartedly. It was apparent to Morrigan that they were friends.

Ritsuko sighed before turning her attention to... "Misato? Why are there two people with you? Instead of just the boy?" she glanced at Morrigan before glaring at the aforementioned woman.

"Well..."

"I was lost in the forest near the explosion earlier, see? Shinji found me and took me to Miss Katsuragi. Miss Katsuragi proposed to direct me to the nearest city, but I've got no place to go back to, so I decided to follow. Since she couldn't do anything for me at that moment, she was forced to bring me along in order not to waste any more time. You did say that you are short of time, didn't you?" Morrigan lied smoothly, her expression one of sadness and mild fear. "I was the one imposing, Miss Ritsuko. It wasn't Miss Katsuragi's fault! Really!" the succubus added a look of innocence.

Ritsuko gave Morrigan and Misato a hard look, before sighing again. "Yes, you're right. But I'm afraid that the commander must be informed, and only he can decide what to do with you. But until then, you must not leave our sight, is that clear?" Ritsuko instructed.

"Crystal, ma'am!" Morrigan dropped her mask of innocence, her calculating smile back on her face.

"So this is the boy?" Ritsuko ignored the succubus and glanced towards Shinji.

"Yeah. He's the 'Third Child', according to the Marduk report," Misato answered.

"Nice to meet you," the scientist told Shinji.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too," Shinji muttered back, lowering the manual he had been reading only slightly.

Misato frowned a little. "He's just like his father... the unfriendly part, that is," she whispered to Ritsuko.

Finally, they reached the thirty-second floor, where they took an elevator to their next destination. On their way up, klaxon alarms started to wail as an announcement reported for everyone to enter battle stations.

However, no one in their group of four appeared to be worried even as Misato's commented, 'Here we go'.

Shinji continued to read the booklet as the two adults in charge began to talk about a Unit 01, despite the slight lack of good lighting. Morrigan listened to them even though she showed no signs that she was, even as she looked around the moving platform.

"We're going for a boat ride?" Morrigan asked in surprise when they finally reached the upper deck of the platform, where a speedboat waited at the dock.

"Yes. Not get on. We don't have much time to waste," Ritsuko informed them, climbing into the boat.

Shinji finally stopped reading the manual, since the boat ride was too bumpy for him to be able to read without straining his eyes. He glanced up and noticed that they were heading for a place with a large 03 painted on the wall. He assumed it was a cargo hold of sorts.

"Hey! It's so dark!" Morrigan called, when the door behind them closed with a metallic 'clang', throwing the room into darkness. She heard Ritsuko feel around her pocket for something, before she pressed a button.

The lights flicked on suddenly, blinding Shinji temporarily with its sharp glare. Once he could see, he stared at the enormous purple face before him.

"Hmm? A giant robot?" the succubus muttered dismissively.

"It's not just a mere 'giant robot'," Ritsuko told her in an annoyed tone. "This is man's ultimate humanoid fighting machine, the first model of the synthetic life form Evangelion, unit 01. Built here in secret, it's mankind's last hope."

"Whatever. It's still a giant robot to me," Morrigan scoffed.

"So this is part of what my father's been doing," Shinji said to himself.

"That is correct," a voice boomed from above them.

Everybody looked up to see a lighted platform covered with glass. A bearded man wearing tinted glasses stood looking at them, his hands in his pockets.

"It's been a while."

"Father..." Shinji muttered with a hiss, venom in his voice.

"We're moving out," the man added.

"Moving out? But Unit 00 is still in cryo-stasis, isn't it?" Misato replied. Then, she glanced to her right, as if noticing the purple machine for the first time. "Wait a second... You're going to use Unit 01!"

"There's no other way," Ritsuko countered.

"But Rei can't do it yet, can she?" Misato drew back slightly. "We've got no pilot!"

"One has just been delivered," Ritsuko replied.

"Are you serious?"

"Shinji Ikari, you will pilot it," Ritsuko announced to the boy.

"What? You mean the robot's going to be piloted by this kid?" Morrigan said incredulously.

"And who are you? I did not expect Ikari to have someone accompanying him," Gendo Ikari spoke up from the platform.

"Nope. He found me earlier after the explosion. Since I have no place to go, I decided to tag along," Morrigan answered him fearlessly. "Besides, I like this kid," she dropped an arm around Shinji who was observing the other two woman talk to each other.

"Captain Katsuragi, why did you bring an unauthorised person into the NERV facility? You do realise that there is a rule against that?"

"I asked Misato to bring her along," Shinji cut in before Misato could say anything to defend herself. "She had no place to go so I thought it was best to bring her here while Misato finds out what to do with her."

"Who are you to make the decision, Ikari," Gendo lowered his voice dangerously.

"I am human to make such a decision, father," he answered, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Sir. About the angel," Ritsuko interrupted.

Gendo sharply shifted his gaze to the blond haired scientist, causing her to cringe slightly. "Yes. Matters at hand first," he said slowly after several minutes. "I can deal with this person later," he looked at Morrigan who crossed her arms in annoyance. "Shinji Ikari, I want you to pilot the unit."

Suddenly, the entire place shook. "It's discovered our location," Gendo added as he glanced skywards.

"Why should I pilot it?" Shinji countered. "I'm not some convenience for you to call up and order around."

Gendo frowned. "You are to pilot it to stop it from destroying all humanity," he told Shinji who was looking at him the same way Gendo was looking at Shinji.

"I don't really care," he shrugged. "So much the better if you get killed as well."

Gendo's frown deepened. This wasn't like he had planned. His son wasn't supposed to be acting like that. "Fuyutsuki, wake up Rei," he ordered.

"Can we use her?" another smaller voice came from the speakers.

"She isn't dead."

"I understand," Fuyutsuki returned.

"Rei," Gendo spoke again.

"Yes."

"Our spare doesn't want to pilot the Evangelion. You will do it again."

"Yes, sir," Rei answered.

Ritsuko frowned at the conversation. "Re-configure Unit 01's system to Rei, then re-activate!" she ordered the technicians.

"Roger. Call off present work and begin re-activation," a woman's voice came over a speaker.

Shinji continued to stare at his father, hatred in his eyes. Morrigan suddenly pricked up. Something was unsettling her, even though she didn't know what. Unable to discern the source, she decided to stick to Misato as the aforementioned woman walked away from the platform.

The door at one end of the room opened, causing Shinji to turn towards it. To his surprise, there was a doctor and a couple of nurses pushing a movable hospital bed which seemed to be rather hard, even with the thin mattress which lay on the frame.

As they pushed the bed past him, he got a good look at the person laying on it. He almost gasped when he saw a blue haired girl his age laying on it. But she was heavily bandaged, the most prominent being the patch over her eye.

She looked calm as she was being pushed to the end of the platform. But the moment she sat up, which she did with much difficulty, Shinji saw that she was panting and grimacing in pain.

Instantly, he felt a pang of guilt that the badly injured girl was here, in pain, because of his selfishness.

Suddenly, the entire place shook like an earthquake had hit. Shinji was knocked off his feet just as the girl toppled out of the bed with a tiny cry of pain. Overhead, the lights rattled so hard that one of them broke off from the wire holding it up, falling down onto Shinji.

"Look out!" Misato yelled as she noticed the falling object.

"Oh shit!" Shinji cried, throwing his arms up over his head to protect himself.

Morrigan was about to transform and hit the falling debris away, but was beaten to it by the robot which reached out to shield Shinji, deflecting the path of the debris, ripping out its restraints in the process.

"B-but that's impossible!" Ritsuko declared. "It doesn't have an entry plug inserted!"

Shinji ignored the babbling of the people around him as he gave the arm only a second glance before running over to the girl. Gently, he helped her up into his arms, watching as she panted and gritted her teeth against the pain. He brought one of hands away, feeling a sticky wet liquid. His guilt multiplied when he realised that the fall had reopened old injuries.

"Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it, DAMNIT!" he yelled with his eyes closed. Finally, he looked up at the platform. Let me do it. Let me pilot it!" he declared, his eyes burning with anger. And for anyone who would've noticed, his eyes were no longer a normal blue. It had turned into a silvery metallic blue.

"Inserting entry plug. Plug fixed in place. Connecting Unit 01."

Shinji stared at the chrome interior surface of the plug as lights flashed around him. He felt calm being in the tube. That was, until someone said something about filling the entry plug. "What the hell!" he yelled as an orange liquid started to flood the tiny space.

He took a deep breath as the liquid came over his head.

"Don't worry. Once your lungs are filled with LCL, your blood will be oxygenated directly," Ritsuko told him. "You'll get used to it."

Shinji held his breath for as long as he could. Finally, he let go, watching the air bubbles float upwards. Then he realised that he really was breathing in the liquid.

He stared as the wall flashed again as he was connected to the machine, finally ending with him being able to see everything around him.

"Okay! Prepare to launch!" Misato commanded.

"Good luck out there, Shinji-boy!" Morrigan added, earning a glare from everyone.

"Launch!" Misato finally declared once everything was ready and he was in place. Shinji wasn't all that prepared for the G-forces which pressed against him, causing him to cringe a little.

Finally, he felt the force stop as he reached the surface. And before him stood the creature he had seen earlier that day. The Angel. The entity which had caused _her_ pain. Shinji narrowed his eyes as he licked his lips.

* * *

Author's Note:

For those who don't visit the arcades, this is an NGE and MvC crossover. That's Marvel versus Capcom. I really like Morrigan. She's quick and deadly. XD

Anyway, this is the first chapter of Guardian 'Angels'. I used the inverted commas for 'Angels' because Morrigan obviously isn't an angel in any sense of the word. She's a succubus.

Shinjimay seem OOC, but it's the way it is. The reasons would be explained later. However, I don't know how Morrigan is supposed to act since I can't find the Darstalkers anime anywhere. Someone let me know if you have a website with the anime download. Preferbaly using Bittorrent.

I hope that this first chapter went well. Reviews are appreciated, but constructive comments and ideas are even more welcome. If anyone has any questions about anything, feel free to drop a review with the question on it.

Like my other stories, I'll work on my story when I feel like I'm in the correct mood. Otherwise, I'd never do the story well.

Okay. That's it for chapter one. Ja ne!


	2. Chapter 2

Guardian 'Angels'

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

I don't own NGE or Morrigan

* * *

Dedicated to my mother, teachers, friends and reviewers. Specially for you two, Eve, Becky.

* * *

"Are you ready, Shinji?" Misato asked the boy in the machine.

"Yes," he replied, his brows close together in an angry frown.

"Release the final safety lock!" the major ordered.

The locks on the shoulders opened and retracted, causing the purple robot to lean forward.

"Shinji. Just concentrate on walking right now," Ritsuko instructed.

"Whatever," Shinji muttered, making it move. He wasn't afraid. On the contrary, he was angry. Very angry. The reason no one saw his actual emotion was because he masked it with a look of concentration.

"It walked!" Ritsuko almost exclaimed in triumph.

Shinji forced the unit to take another step. However, the lack of practice caused him to lose coordination, causing the machine to fall on its face. 'No shit,' he thought as Misato asked if he was fine.

As he saw the angel advance upon him, he tried to get his Eva to its feet. But unfortunately for him, the angel got him first, grabbing the Eva by its head and lifting it up as if it were feather light.

His face was almost a snarl as he tried to throw a punch. The angel intercepted the attacking arm and flexed its muscles.

"Gah!" he yelled as he grabbed at his physical arm, feeling the pain the angel was inflicting on his Eva. He forced his eye open to see the veins on his arm popping out.

"Shinji! What the hell is happening!" Morrigan demanded.

"What's wrong with the Eva's defence system?" Ritsuko ignored the succubus.

"The signal's not working. The field's not unfolding!" the technicians replied as they ran a diagnosis.

Shinji was unprepared for the excruciating pain which followed as the Eva's arm twisted in an awkward position. He felt like his own arm was broken, twisted out of place like his machine's arm was.

"Bastard!" he hollered, as he grabbed the angel's arm with his undamaged hand and tried to pull free.

"Shinji! Dodge!" he heard Misato shout as he realised that the angel's in-built javelin had been retracted from the palm and was glowing.

"Holy..."

That was all he managed to say before he felt his eyeball literally exploding. He grabbed at his right eye as the angel attacked relentlessly, sending wave after wave of red hot lava through the eye into his brain.

Despite the pain, Shinji reached out, trying to grope for the angel's arm, to try to stop the attack. Opening his left eye, he was just in time to see the view screen crack as his Eva's helmet started to give way.

"Gya!" Shinji screamed without restraint as the javelin broke through, his vision turning red. Amidst all the pain deep in part of his sub-consciousness, he was amazed he could feel his Eva flying into a building.

In the control room, emergency alarms began to sound as damage reports were yelled across the chamber. Morrigan was being rather pissed at being ignored while her Shinji-boy was getting hurt. "What the fuck is going on!" she roared, the strength of her voice carrying her anger over the entire place.

"Shut up! Can't you see that we're doing what we can to help Shinji!" Misato answered with equal anger as she broke the silence which had fallen over the chamber.

"Furthermore, you are in no position to interrupt this mission," Gendo added from the platform above them, causing Morrigan to glare at him.

"Shinji-boy! Hang in there!" she yelled at the screen.

* * *

Shinji jerked awake, his eyes snapping open the moment he did. For several moments, he blinked as he tried to remember what had happened, and where was he. His mind moving too sluggishly for him to be able to derive anything, Shinji sat up slowly.

Meticulously, he flexed his left hand, having remembered the pain, if nothing else. But there was no pain. Then looking down at his attire, he deduced that he was in a hospital. After all, only the hospital had rooms to sterile white and gave such, in his opinion, pathetic uniforms.

After making sure that he was fine, he got out of bed and looked out the window. To his pleasant surprise, he saw a hill of forests instead of buildings. That was fine since he wasn't in the mood to look at similarly stark and boring architecture at the moment.

The rattling of wheels on the hard floor echoed down the corridor outside his room, prompting him to step out. He glanced at the direction of the sound and found a bed being pushed in his direction. As the nurse pushed the bed past him, he saw the patient who was on it. The very same girl whom he had met last night.

He looked at her face as she went past, her single undamaged eye staring at him. No sound passed between them, no emotion exchanged. Shinji glanced away at the same time as she did. Looking out the window of the corridor, he brought the tips of his fingers to his lips.

"Hey, Shinji-boy!" a rather familiar voice called out to him, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Morrigan," he nodded as he finally brought his fingers down. "How are you?"

"Just spiffy!" the succubus replied energetically. "But most of all, I should be asking you that question, you know?" she pouted.

"I'm doing just fine. Can't seem to remember what happened last night though. How the hell did I end up landing here?" he directed at Morrigan, who brought a finger to her temple, the other arm reaching across her stomach to support her elbow, in a gesture of thinking.

"Well, I don't know if I should tell you yet. It wasn't exactly a fun night after all," she informed him, tapping her finger on her temple lightly.

"Mister Ikari," a man in a lab coat interrupted the two. "My name's Dr. Sakaya. I'm your doctor."

"Oh. Nice to meet you, doc," Shinji bowed towards the older man respectfully. "So, how am I? Do I need to stay here or take medication?" he questioned.

"Well, I'm glad to say that you're just fine. A slight memory lapse, but they'll come back to you in a day or two," Dr. Sakaya answered. "You're free to change and leave the hospital, but you can stay till someone comes to get you. My instructions were to leave the room for you, so feel free to stay there if you want to rest."

"Thank you. I won't impede you from going on your rounds, doctor," Shinji bowed again, causing the doctor to smile before leaving the two alone again. "Well, at least I'll be able to remember whatever happened in a couple of days."

"Good idea. It's better for you to remember it at your own pace," Morrigan leaned against the window sill.

"Alright. I'm going to go change, then maybe I'll go to the cafeteria. I'm kinda hungry," Shinji admitted.

"Can I watch you change?" Morrigan grinned cheekily.

"Nope," the boy answered as he entered his room and locked the door after him.

Morrigan laughed as she glanced out of the window and waited for Shinji to be done.

* * *

"You haven't told me about what happened to you yesterday," Shinji reminded Morrigan, his mouth full of rice. "If I didn't remember wrongly, you weren't all that welcome at NERV, but you're here."

"Right you are," Morrigan smiled as she played with her hair. "At first everyone was rather annoyed to have me around, and after everything, they were even more annoyed. Since, according to the commander's words, I had 'accessed and seen highly classified and confidential places and equipment'; I could not be allowed to run free and 'leak out information of any sorts regarding this organization'."

"Hmm. I'm amazed that you're not in the brig or something," Shinji commented.

"Well, they wanted to do that, but I told them that I would like to be your bodyguard since I'm able to fight and am rather proficient at weapons," Morrigan explained. "At first they said that they had more than enough efficient agents who can protect the well being of the members of NERV. After I demanded that I get to fight these agents' of theirs in both guns and physical combat and managed to kill all the agents, they changed their mind. So now you're stuck with me!" Morrigan finished gleefully.

However, she did not explain that sheactually threatened Gendo when he brought her to his office and threatened her with imprisonment, and the commander was nearly terrified when she killed off his guards as a show of her power. It was only after that then she had been tested.

"Oh brother," Shinji slapped his palm against his forehead at the news.

"Yo Shinji!" another familiar female voice called out to the boy again. "Looks like you're all ready to go," the violet haired woman came over.

"Hi, Misato," Shinji greeted as he finally pushed the plate away, indicating the end of his meal.

"Wazzup, partner!" Morrigan greeted instead.

Misato shot the cheerful woman an annoyed look. "I'm not your partner! Though I'm still amazed that you could kill those agents so quickly... rather cleanly too. But we'll need to recruit some more."

"Whatever," Morrigan grinned.

"Alright, Shinji. If you're ready, I'll take you to the guy in charge of accommodation. He'll assign you a place to stay," Misato informed Shinji.

"Great."

"What about me?" Morrigan asked.

"You'll be staying either close to him, or with him. The guy will tell you where you're gonna live too."

By this time, the trio had reached the lift and were waiting for their ride to reach them. The bell made a soft 'ting' sound as it started to open. The three people looked at the occupant of the lift with varying reactions. Misato was very astonished to be this close to her commanding officer, and was feeling very nervous. Morrigan simply stared at him as if he was an annoying guy blocking the way. She would've entered the lift, if not for Shinji.

The boy was bristling at Gendo's presence. His face was contorted into a mask of immense hatred, his brows close together and his teeth were almost bared.

Gendo flinched a little at Shinji's display of anger. The usually cold and calculative commander had flinched at that. Because he had not actually expected Shinji to actually be able to express his dislike of Gendo. Still, he returned the gaze behind his tinted glasses, standing stock still, as if he had not been affected.

Finally the doors closed, separating father and son from view.

It was only after several minutes had passed before the tension from the boy began to ease. Morrigan was rather shocked that Shinji's anger was so strong. In fact, she would see the red and black aura flaring out, crackling around the boy like a wild fire ready to consume a whole forest of dried up vegetation.

"I swear one day I'm going to bash his face in," Shinji growled under his breath. "Stupid fool doesn't know that his scenario is gonna screw up like hell."

"I think we should be going before it gets too late. I want to get everyone settled in by the end of the day. Hopefully I don't have to do the paperwork," Misato commented, trying to ease the atmosphere.

"Whatever," Shinji muttered, stepping into the now empty lift.

* * *

"He'll be living alone?" Misato goggled at the man.

"That is correct. His room will be in the 6th block, just beyond this one."

"What about me?" Morrigan was leaning on one leg, her hands on her hips.

"You will be living at the east wing security dormitories with the rest of the Section 2 agents."

"Whatever," Shinji muttered as Morrigan gave a cry of 'objection!'

"You sure, Shinji?" Misato asked with concern in her voice. In her opinion, such a young boy shouldn't live by himself. "Aren't you used to living with your former guardian?"

"Not really. I had another mentor, but I'm usually by myself."

"Hmm..." Misato crossed her arms.

"I'm telling you, I wanna stay with Shinji-boy!" in the background, Morrigan had grabbed the man by the collar of his suit and was shaking him vigorously.

Suddenly, Misato snapped her fingers, and hit her palm with the bottom of her fist. "Of course! Why don't you live with me, Shinji?"

"..."

Silence ensued as Shinji and Morrigan stared at the violet haired woman.

"That was my idea, damnit!" Morrigan yelled before turning back to the man. "I don't care if it's protocol! I'm living with my Shinji-boy!" she resumed shaking him.

"Whatever," Shinji maintained.

"Okay then! Shinji, you'll be staying with me!" Misato was grinning widely. "Can you arrange that?" she turned to the man.

Morrigan finally let the man go. "I'm staying with my Shinji-boy, you hear me!" she advanced on Misato, her fingers reaching for Misato's collar. "I don't care where he's living as long as I get to live with him too!"

"Fine! Just arrange for all of us to live together and be done with it? Alright! Can I have some peace now!" Shinji yelled. "Sheesh. Women."

"What was that?" both women turned to him, their eyes narrowed.

"Nothing for you to hear," Shinji replied. "Anyway, can you arrange for that, sir?" he turned to the man who was straightening his jacket.

"I'm afraid that I will have to ask either sub-commander Fuyutsuki or commander Ikari before I can confirm it," the man answered. "I can try to place a call now. If you'll excuse me."

"You know, that was fun. Maybe I should use my usual tactics on these people someday," Morrigan said dreamily. "They seem to be rather easy to persuade."

"You mean charm, or scare the shit outta them?" Shinji snorted.

"Seduction. And maybe I'll get an added bonus too," the succubus contemplated.

"What are you two talking about?" Misato interrupted.

"Nothing you'll understand," they replied in unison.

"I've managed to contact sub-commander Fuyutsuki and he has given the go ahead for that planning. Captain Katsuragi, an apartment one level above will be renovated and merged with the apartment next door in order to accommodate all of you. For the moment, you will be staying in your current apartment. Furthermore, your pay will be increased since you are now in charge of the third child. Is that alright?"

"That's excellent! Thanks!" Misato grinned.

* * *

"Anyone up for a party?" Misato inquired as they were driving back towards the place they would be calling home for as long as needed.

"What for?" Shinji stared out of the window.

"How dense can you be, Shinji-boy? Obviously we're going to have a welcoming celebration for us!" Morrigan leaned over Shinji's seat, her arms dangling around Shinji's neck.

"Yeah!" Misato stuck out her hand, which Morrigan returned with a high-five. "Glad to finally find someone who thinks like me. Most of those people at NERV are so uptight and serious both at work and off work."

"... I think I'm screwed," Shinji muttered.

"What's that?" Morrigan smirked.

"Next stop! The 24-hour convenience store!" Misato crowed, slamming down on the accelerator.

"AHHHHHHH!" was Shinji's reply as the car suddenly shot out of the tunnel it had been travelling through and into the open. To make matters worse for him, Morrigan was still draped over his seat, giggling like mad.

By the time they pulled up at the closest store, Shinji was absolutely petrified to the extent that we would not move till Misato had switched off the engine and stepped out of the car.

"Misato, don't ever do that again," Shinji breathed as he finally felt his frozen muscles move. "If it were anyone else but the three of us, they would've died of heart attack."

"Don't be such a wuss, Shinji," Misato teased as she grabbed a cart to carry the stuff they were going to buy.

"This has nothing got to do with being a wuss or not."

"Whatever you say."

Misato brought them to the canned and ready-to-eat food section where she started throwing instant ramen, TV dinners, and an assortment of cans into the cart.

"That's all you're going to buy, Misato? Instant food isn't exactly too healthy, you know?" Shinji informed his guardian.

The violet haired woman snorted. "Of course I know that."

Shinji was about to comment about how she had that much common sense at least, when she interrupted him and went on.

"Instant food with beer! Now that's what I call a great meal," Misato smirked.

Shinji sweatdropped. "Well, while you do that, I'm going to go get another cart. I'm not one for instant ramen everyday," he commented. "We'll meet at the cashier, right?"

"Sure."

"Alright. Let's go, Morrigan," Shinji turned around, but didn't see the succubus anywhere nearby. Figuring that she was probably getting what she wanted, Shinji got another cart and headed for the fresh food section.

"If there's one thing this place has that anywhere else doesn't, it's the wide variety of fresh food," Shinji muttered to himself as he saw the amount of fresh, crisp vegetables, the rows of tender fish, the packets of already cut meat. "Man. This is almost heaven."

Slowly, he walked down the aisles, picking out things that he wanted, carefully picking out the best vegetables, fish and meat. Having done these for years, he managed to do it quickly.

Finally satisfied, he headed for the cashier. And he could only look at Morrigan in disbelief as he saw what she had in her own cart.

"You sure you going to finish all that chocolate, Morrigan?" Misato appraised the pile of chocolates. "Not afraid of ruining your figure?"

"Yeah, I'm going to finish all that chocolate, and no. I'm not afraid about my figure," Morrigan smirked. "If we're ready, let's get all these paid for."

"And just who's going to pay for these?" Shinji looked at Misato.

"NERV is, so don't worry," his guardian reassured. "Your ID cards are inbuilt credit cards as well. And everything spent using the cards will be billed to NERV."

"And are you sure that the commanders aren't going to blow a vein after seeing the bill?" Shinji arched an eyebrow.

"Oh don't worry about that. They don't really care about these kinds of expenses. It's nothing compared to their funding budgets."

"Whatever you say," Shinji shrugged. Then he paused again. "You know? Are you sure the car's going to be able to carry all of these and the three of us at the same time? You know, after all that beating it got after the bomb exploded?"

Misato's eyes widened. "I forgot about that..."

"Oh brother."

* * *

"Sorry about having to make you two walk," Misato apologised when Morrigan and Shinji finally reached the lift of the building where Misato lived.

"Whatever," Shinji answered. "Let's go."

In the end, they agreed that Misato would leave ahead of them with all the stuff they bought in the car, while Shinji and Morrigan would take a walk back to the building. It arranged nicely since Morrigan and Shinji wanted to talk about each other. Morrigan didn't manage to get much from Shinji, but Shinji managed to find out the reason she was here.

"Your things have been delivered, Shinji. But I didn't see any of your stuff," Misato told Morrigan.

"Doesn't matter. I didn't have much anyway. I can get what I want anyway," the succubus told her new-found friend.

"Oh. Actually, I've only just moved in here too," Misato admitted. "Come on in."

"That's an invitation, right?" Shinji asked, standing at the door.

"Yes. It's your house now. Actually, the apartment above us would be, but this will suit us just fine."

"Great," Shinji intoned, stepping into the apartment.

"Anyway, as you can see, this place is a little messy..."

Morrigan and Shinji stared at the 'little' mess. "You gotta be shitting us. You call this a little messy?" Morrigan gaped. "I'd call this place a dumpster."

"So sue me. I don't really have that much time for cleaning up, you know? Work takes up most of my time, eating and sleeping takes up the rest of the time."

Shinji chose not to answer, instead heading for the fridge. "Ice, snacks, and tons of beer," he muttered. "What kinda life does she lead?" he opened up the last compartment and was appalled to that everything they had bought earlier that day had been thrown into the same place. "Good thing I'm used to cleaning up the place."

He got up and closed the fridge, and noticed another one. "Yo, Misato! What's in the other fridge? The white one!"

"Oh, don't mind that. He's probably sleeping," Misato replied from her room.

"Sleeping?" Morrigan inquired as she came out from one of the unoccupied rooms. "This room's mine, Shinji-boy!"

"Fine. What's for dinner?"

"Instant ramen, and anything else you feel like heating up," Misato told him. "I'm that much of a cook, but the things I make don't taste half bad."

Shinji could only look at his guardian dubiously as she said that, coming out of her room and into the kitchen. She grabbed a can of beer, tossing another to Morrigan who grabbed it, giving Misato a thumbs up.

Shinji's face was bland by the time the food was made. Somehow, he had lost his appetite when he saw the way Misato made the food.

* * *

The full darkness of the night had fallen over the city of Tokyo-3. Lights blinked rhythmically, beacons to warn flying aircraft of the dangers the tall buildings posed. Lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the world, as thunder echoed after.

Shinji stood at the balcony, taking in the view. Misato had already gone to bed. Morrigan had left, probably to hunt for victims. The bloody penguin was also in its fridge. He was the only one left in the apartment.

As he stood there, memories came back to him, like the lightning which streaked down. He remembered what had happened last night. Everything that had occurred once the Eva had been damaged.

_There had been lots of chattering over the comm systems. He heard everything that was being said, but he could not hear them. Because he was listening to something else. Someone._

_There was someone calling out to him, trying to reassure him, comforting him. He welcomed the voice, even though he didn't know who it belonged to, where it came from. He felt the voice embrace him. The nostalgic feeling of his mother taking him into her bosom. The memory so old, so painful._

_He felt a deep throbbing from around him, within him. The anger at the reason the feeling had been locked away reminded him of his goal. He heard the whispers of the voice, felt the power within him stir, the voice adding its own to his._

_Suddenly, he roared. Externally, the Eva reflected his move, becoming his avatar, becoming an extension of his will. The memories, the pain. It flooded his body, like the adrenaline which coursed through his body._

_The voice felt his pain, physical and mental. It keened for him, wanting to protect him. Despite his fury, he offered the voice a warm smile. Then, he released his full visage._

_Gasps of astonishment came over the comm. But it did not interest him. Only the voice and his enemy did. His enemy... the abominable monstrosity before him._

_His avatar stood up and roared. The sound... so beautiful to his ears... and it was for him. He moved the avatar with his mind, making it execute moves according to his wishes. It went on one knee, before it leapt towards the angel, doing a front flip in mid-air._

_The Eva slammed into the angel so forcefully that the creature leaned backwards. He made the Eva grab the angel's face. It retaliated, pushing him away. Unable to get a good hold on it, the Eva jumped back, landing beautifully on its feet._

_He was anger, and so was the voice. How dare it? The abominable creature dared to retaliate? Shinji felt his temper blaze as the voice protested against the angel, supporting him._

_He felt the voice hold him, placing its own hand on his, felt its breath on his cheek as it guided him. Offhandedly, he heard someone say that they've won. He frowned a little, but decided to settle with the monster first. He charged._

_An unearthly cry filled the air as the Eva voiced his anger. The angel recovered from his earlier attack just as he was about to reach it. He felt his avatar slam against a force field. He growled upon seeing the orange hexagon. It had caught him off guard. But it wouldn't last for long._

_Once again, he heard exclamations over the comm. An AT field. So that was the force field. But when the voice heard a voice saying that as long as the field was there, he couldn't hurt the angel, it seemed to frown dejectedly._

_Shinji did not know how a voice was able to manifest its emotions, but he felt it, received it clearly as though the voice was just next to him. And it made him angry. He liked the voice, and no one was going to make it sad._

_The Eva drew back for a second, letting its injured arm repair itself. Once regaining mobility in the left arm, he jammed the Eva's fingers through the centre of the AT field, straining, he tried to force his Eva's hands apart. The voice assisted, teaching him to deploy his own field, to nullify the angel's. Slowly, the field stretched. He strained harder and was rewarded with the field being ripped apart like a piece of paper._

_He snarled. It would not be able to stop him now. His Eva did the same. The angel took the chance, firing a particle beam from its eyes. He felt the Eva's head snap back slightly at the force. But he was unworried. Because he knew that as long as the voice was with him, he would be unhurt._

_He grabbed the angel's arms in one hand, having decided to give it the same treatment he had received. Except that he wasn't going to let it go with simply a broken arm. Feeling the bones in its arm shatter under the strength of his Eva's hand, he twisted._

_Blue blood spewed all over his Eva's hand as the arms were almost completely ripped off. He kicked, tearing whatever sinew which remained connected to the arms, and sending it flying into a building._

_He followed up with a football tackle, forcing both the angel and the building it was leaning against to slide backwards._

_By the time they stopped moving, he was bashing his fists against the red orb which was its core, its energy source. Unable to even dent it, he seized the pair of bones which protruded from its body, tearing them off and slammed the sharp points against the orb._

_The core cracked. Encouraged by his small victory, he smashed at the core faster, harder._

_As if it knew that it was going to die, the angel suddenly wrapped itself against his avatar. The core glowed brightly. Self-destruct? Shinji nearly laughed at the angel's pitiful, last ditch attempt to take him down with it. But what it didn't know was that he was invincible._

_The glob that was the angel exploded in an enormous flash of light in the shape of a cross. This time, Shinji laughed. Hard._

_The entire area was in ruins, but the Eva was unhurt. How would it be? Finally, he calmed down enough to simply smirk as the Eva walked through the reddish, hot ground that was the result of the explosion._

_Finally, the command centre brought his Eva back online. It was fortunate they did not switch on the internal camera, or many of them would've been terrified at the look on Shinji's face._

_Finally, the voice faded away, content that Shinji was content. Then the Eva's headgear slid off and landed on the ground with a crash. He glanced to the right, which was a building with reflective glass. Reflected was the Eva's true image. Shinji felt sorry for its damaged eye though._

_Suddenly as if it had been reading Shinji's mind, the gaping hole bulged, forming flesh which settled and slit open, revealing a fully formed, yet startling green eyeball. It rolled around a bit as if to test if it was working. Finally, it seemed to look at the mirror, focusing on Shinji. Shinji managed to give a little smile before fatigue took over, knocking him unconscious._

That fury was a side of him he was unfamiliar with. Even though he is what he had become, he had never been so unrestrained with his anger, with his wish to kill. But then again, everything was unfamiliar to him.

Just like this city.

* * *

Author's notes:

Oh My GOD! The response to chapter one had been overwhelming. I never expected to get that many reviews. Makes me kinda jittery. Seriously. I can only hope to keep the story up to standard. Still, I'll do my best to please.

I know it's a little fast to come out, but I had to type it up while I still had the juices going. Besides, I probably won't get that much time left soon. Anyway, hoped you enjoyed chapter 2.

You know, I wonder if you guys can actually guess what I'm trying to do here. Why don't you drop a note?

To My Reviewers:

Animewatcher: Thanks. I've had this idea since quite some time ago, but never got to actually doing anything about it. As for Shinji's 'condition', why don't you try to guess?

Demon Knight: I'll do my best to update often, but don't expect it to be quick. I need time to think, which I don't have much of. And it's not easy getting in the perfect mood to write certain scenes.

Firehedgehog: Can do. I'll promise that I won't abandon it even if it takes ten years to finish.

RezEvil fan: Thanks for the review about the anime. And thanks for the complement.

Shinji the good sharer: Sorry about that, but I can't resist it. Hehe. I'm sure that I'm not all that better than you. I felt that it's just okay. Since I did most of the starting at 1am in the morning. As for the pairing, I'm sure that you'll like a Shinji/Morrigan pairing, but I'm making it a Shinji/Rei story. It would be good if you actually did an Eva/Morrigan story with Shinji/Morrigan pairing. Drop me a note if you ever intend to do it. Thumbs up

DJ: O.o I never really knew that. Thanks for giving me all that info. I'll refer if I ever need it. . Your observation at the end is really interesting. I'll keep that in mind too. I might even start a fic with that set of similarities!

Darkturkey: whadda ya mean by 'entertain'? Is it a hint? o.o

DarkFusion: HALELEUGHIA indeed. Sure did a number of brain drain on me to get ideas out. Still, it's good to have new ideas now and then, no? I might throw in another character. It would be nice for Morrigan to have someone else so that I can do fights. But don't expect ANY fighting scenes to be done well. I can do drama, but I can't write fighting, for the life of me. Maybe you wanna help? Hahaha. Yes, a Shinji/Morrigan story would be nice, but I'm currently doing S/R. maybe I'll do a Shinji/Morrigan in the future. And while your using Tenchi Muyo as a reference is good, I can't find English ones, so I never read tenchi muyo. Thanks for trying to explain though.

ShadrclawKusanagi: thanks for letting me know how much you like this fic. I don't think I did all that well though. My portraying of Morrigan is... well, I make her kinda childish and Misato-like for this fic. Hope no one minds... .''' other characters from the game? Maybe... I've got one candidate in mind, and he'll probably be the only one, if I ever add him. As for the Shinji/Morrigan request, sorry. This is S/R. maybe in the future. If you keep buggering me about it, that is. Lol. BTW, I live in Singapore, hence the difficulty in finding anime stuff.

Samurai Demon-god Sekikage: you can bid for it, but I'm not abandoning it. I do agree that it's crazy though.

Cougarmanus: great? I would like to think mediocre fic. Thanks for telling me that the DVD is out, but I'll be having problems finding it in Singapore. Still, thanks for the review.

Hunter Noventa: Yay! A fellow Morrigan fan! I'll continue, but please don't hope too much for the speed.

Reikson: The reason for Morrigan being here? You'll find out sooner or later... and imam make it LATER! Hahahahaha! Kidding. I'll reveal it when it's time. As for the berserker incidents? The first of such incidents is already up. You'll have to wait for the next ones though. )

Rheaditto2: glad that you like it. I hope that the fic will work out well. What's going on with Shinji? You can either wait for it, or guess. Morrigan is a succubus. Succubi are sex demons, who absorbs souls, and finds victims by seduction. Check the net. There are webbies that tell you more.

Not telling you: I think I'm trying to ruin Shinji's life in this fic. Hehe. As for Morrigan, yeah. I think that way too.

Optimus Magnus: Thanks for sticking with me for this fic, dude. Also, thanks for giving me the push to go ahead with this fic. GOD BLESS YA! Optimus!


	3. Chapter 3

Guardian 'Angels'

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

I don't own Evangelion, Darkstalkers, Capcom or Morrigan. I do wish that I did though. T.T

* * *

Dedicated to My Mother, my teachers past and future, My friends, My beloved reviewers, My relatives who had been so supportive of me, Becky, and finally, Eve.

Love you, Eve.

* * *

"Good morning, Shinji, how's it going?" Ritsuko asked.

"Not too bad," Shinji replied. "And yes, I have already memorised all Eva emergence points, power junctions, blah, blah. It's not fun to get shot at just because I didn't know the basics," he added before Ritsuko could say anything.

The blond decided that the boy was no fun to converse with. She also felt uncanny that he knew what she was going to say. "Activate induction mode."

Around Shinji, a holographic field showed a simulated Tokyo-3. In front of him, he saw an angel which looked exactly like the one he had fought some time ago.

He aimed at the simulated enemy, targeted and pressed the trigger on his controls. The barrage of shots went wild, shooting over the angel's head. "Hey! Someone correct that error!" he demanded as he aimed lower this time, and fired again. The lights appeared to bite into the angel, making it spew orange blood.

"Next!"

He turned and aimed again, shooting the replica which had once again appeared.

"This is lame..." he muttered under his breath as he repeated the process over and over again.

And despite the communications being shut off, he knew what they were talking about. The reason for his piloting the Eva? He smirked at the suggestion that he piloted because it was all he had left to do. He had a reason for piloting. Oh yes, he did. But it was a pity that no one else would get to know about it. Yet.

He badly wanted to laugh out loudly.

* * *

"Hey, Misato. It's morning already," Shinji called from outside her door.

"I just got back from night duty. I don't have to go to work till evening, so please let me sleep," Misato grumbled. "And don't forget to take out the trash!"

"Whatever," Shinji turned to go.

"How's school, by the way?"

"Boring."

"Oh. Great. Have fun," Misato finished before going back to sleep.

"So much for being a guardian," Shinji muttered as he decided to catch the news before leaving for school. "What's up in the news?" he asked Morrigan, who was already sitting on the couch.

"Hmm... nothing much, unless you consider the sudden increase in murder cases," the succubus smiled.

"Hmm. Nothing much, then," Shinji nodded as the reporter went on talking.

"_The amount of people being murdered has increased sharply these three weeks. Despite the efforts the police had invested, they still find no trace of identification of the murderer. Or rather, murderers seeing as they claimed that many of those killed were killed by several methods._

"_According to the police, the victims in the first case were found dead without any signs of injuries or poisoning. Medical doctors were also stumped as the bodies exhibited no symptoms of hearts attack, stroke, or any other kinds of health problems. As such, the police had decided to classify it as unnatural death._

"_In the second case, the victims were found totally drained of blood. However, no open wounds were found on their bodies and there did not seem to be any kind of struggle in any of these cases._

"_In the final case, it was reported that this was the most violent form of murders. The victims appear to have been attacked by a large creature with enormous fangs and claws. According to the police, all that remained of the victims were limbs or pieces of organs, suggesting that the victims might have been killed and eaten. The police are not sure whether to classify this as murder because it appears to be done by a wild animal, but a zoologist explained, in an interview, that no known animal would've been able to eat that much meat in so short a period of time._

"_The advice given to the public by the police was to be careful especially at night. They are also advised to avoid back alleys and to report any suspicious activities to the police. If any large animal is seen, avoid confrontation and call the police as well."_

"Aren't you scared, Shinji-boy?" Morrigan asked with a bit of concern. She liked the boy and had taken him under her metaphorical wing. Besides, she had yet to find out how Shinji had actually managed to read her thoughts on occasion.

"With you looking after me? Not at all," Shinji offered the succubus a smile. "Besides, no harm would come to me," he added confidently. "Let's get going, Morrigan. I'll meet you at the car park. I've got to take out the trash."

"Why do you say that, Shinji? So sure of yourself too," Morrigan asked as she grabbed her car keys. She had acquired a car of her own after taking it up to the commander. The commander, apparently, was still a little afraid of her. Morrigan smirked at the memory. He ought to, with a jolly good reason.

"Because, Morrigan, there's more than meets the eye in Tokyo-3," Shinji smiled.

Morrigan shivered a little as the door slid close, leaving her in the room alone. The smile... it seemed seductive, but it also brought a chill down Morrigan's spine. Being a succubus, it was no mean feat. But still, she pushed the memory out of her mind and headed for the car park.

* * *

Shinji strode into the classroom, as though invisible to everyone present although he stood at the door, looking around the room. The classroom was noisy with the sounds of students chatting with each other, looking at magazines together, simply doing normal things a kid would do.

He felt... envious at times. They had no idea what he had to go through. And he blamed it on one person he felt had to remain nameless lest the nameless one came along and ruined things for everyone else.

As he was about to sit down, he shot a glance at a particular blue haired girl who was looking out the window. 'Ayanami Rei,' he thought in his mind. She had returned to school only one week before, but it seemed to him that there was no fanfare for the girl when she had returned. And his observations led him to believe that she had no friends. Like him.

Finally, he sat down.

Behind him, he was aware of Hikari Horaki, their class representative, talking to Kensuke Aida, the class otaku. When he heard them talking about a certain Toji Suzuhara and wondering if he had been injured in his battle with the angel, he perked up.

He was rather amused at Kensuke's deduction of the incident. He knew that it was true. And the class rep was, in his opinion, a sucker for false information. Probably a gossiper too.

The door slid open to admit a boy he had never seen before. 'So this is the Suzuhara they were talking about,' Shinji mused.

The first words out of his mouth weren't 'Hi', or 'Good morning'. It was 'Wow. Has the class population dropped or what?' Shinji smirked at the comment.

"They've all been evacuated or transferred to other schools," Kensuke answered. "The recent spate of killings isn't helping any too."

"Yeah. And you're probably the only one who's thrilled at a chance to see a real war, and maybe get yourself killed one of the four ways available now. Three are already on the news, the forth would be getting squashed by the robot. Five, if you include sheer stupidity," Toji replied.

"You're one to talk," Kensuke commented. "Where have you been by the way? Why were you absent for so long?"

"It was my sister. She was hurt when a pile of debris fell on her. She survived, but she's been in hospital ever since. My father and grandfather are working, so they don't have time to go see her. So when I'm not with her, she's all alone..."

When he heard that, Shinji immediately felt guilty. Because of him, an innocent kid was injured. And from what he concluded, she was quite badly injured too. He kept it in mind, making a mental note to talk to Misato about it.

"Speaking of the pilot, have you heard about the new transfer student?"

"What transfer student?" Toji asked.

"Him, over there."

Shinji knew that they were talking about him, but he pretended not to hear. Besides, with his SDAT on and the earphones in his ear, he wasn't supposed to be able to hear them.

"He transferred here while you were absent. Just after the incident. Don't you think that it's odd?"

Before Toji could make any comment, the door slid open again. This time, an elderly teacher stood at the door.

"All rise! Bow! Sit!" Hikari commanded.

And so started another day of boring lessons.

* * *

Shinji was trying to look out of the window, to no avail. The windows were too far away for him to see anything but the crow of leaves and the sky. Since he wouldn't see anything, he was wondering how the hell the teacher managed to progress from math to second impact. Not that he was listening too attentively, of course.

A tiny beeping, loud enough only for him to hear, drew his attention to the computer on his desk. An instant messaging window was blinking. Having nothing else better to do, he decided to humour the massager.

The screen switched from his previous window filled with equations, to an inquiry. Shinji frowned a little as he read the message. **'Is it true that you're the pilot?'**

He shot a glance behind him, to see a couple of girls looking at him and waving. Seeing as they had his attention, the one seated in front of the computer bent forward and began typing again.

'**You are the one, right?'**

He paused for a moment, unsure if he ought to tell them the truth. It hadn't occurred to him, Misato or Morrigan that his classmates might ask him that question. After a moment, he decided that since Misato hadn't declared that his pilot status was a confidential matter, it was safe for him to let them know.

What he had not expected, was that the three little letters that spelled 'yes' would throw the entire class into an uproar.

A barrage of questions assaulted him. In the front, the class rep was yelling that they were still in class and trying to make them sit down. For that single moment, while the other students were distracted, he saw Rei through a hole in the wall of students. She had not reacted, still looking out the window. At that moment, Shinji wished that he would be left alone, like her.

Once again, students, namely girls, began to question him about his being a pilot. "I'm sorry, the information is classified," he told the crowd. "I don't have the clearance to answer your questions as of yet."

"Don't be so mean!" one of the girls pouted. "Can you tell us the name of the robot at least?"

"I only know that the robot is an Eva. I don't know anything else besides that."

"That's so cool! What kind of weapons does it have?"

Shinji sighed. "Besides a knife and a gun, I don't know. If you have any other questions, please direct them to the NERV operations manager. If she has clearance to let you know anything, she'll tell you. Now, can I get some breathing space?" he asked firmly upon hearing the recess bell ring.

"Hey, pilot," Toji suddenly stood up and came over. The other students quickly made a path for him. They knew him enough to want to stay out of his ay, especially when he looked this pissed. "Come with me to the roof. We've got something to discuss," he cracked his knuckles.

Shinji stared straight into his eyes for a moment, matching his gaze in intensity. "Fine," he got up, the ring of students finally moving away to let him out of his table. "Lead the way."

"Be careful, Ikari!" some of the students whispered in concern.

Shinji only smirked as he followed Toji and Kensuke. Unfortunately, he didn't look back at the corner of the class. Or he would've seen Rei looking at him.

"Now that we're here, what do you want to do? Hit me?" Shinji asked once they had reached the roof. There was no one else besides them here.

Toji did not reply, simply threw a punch at Shinji. Shinji glided back, causing the jock to miss. Toji tried hitting him again, but Shinji sidestepped. With each unconnected punch, Toji grew more agitated. "Stay still, damn it!"

Kensuke stood to one side, unsure if he should help the pilot or his friend.

Finally tired of this 'game', Shinji grabbed Toji's incoming fist, twisting the jock's arm around to his back, effectively incapacitating the jock. He leaned close to the jock's ears, whispering so that only he could hear. "You know, Toji Suzuhara? You think that just because you're bigger and stronger, you can easily beat others? Think about it. I would hate to hurt you. You are an important part of this 'game' after all," Shinji breathed.

Shinji pushed him away. "Besides, I heard about what happened to your sister earlier in the morning. I'll bring it up to my superiors, but I can't guarantee anything."

Toji shot Shinji a venomous glare.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your sister, Toji, but I'm sure that you would prefer for her to be injured than dead, don't you agree?" Shinji asked the jock.

"Whadda ya mean, new kid? You threatening me?" Toji asked, his face twisted in a frown. "You can hurt me but you'll never touch my sister!"

Shinji looked at him impassively. "I wasn't talking about me, Suzuhara. You know the pilot incident? Do you _know_ why I pilot in the first place? Why there was so much damage to the city?" Shinji asked Toji and Kensuke, staring at them straight in the eye.

Both boys had no answer.

"Good. Because you don't want to know. The public doesn't know either. At least, not yet, isn't that right, Ayanami?" Shinji finally turned to the girl who had been hidden in the darkness of the stairway.

The other two boys quickly turned to look at the girl as she appeared, as if she wasn't caught off guard.

"That is correct, Ikari," Rei answered, her eyes looking deep into Shinji's, trying to understand how he had known her location, despite the fact that she was usually able to stay in the background. She was sure that the darkness of the stairway would be sufficient for her to remain unseen by the boys since the roof was in the sun.

"Suzuhara, I don't want to be your enemy, but if circumstances force me to, I can't help it." After he had finished his sentence, he paused for a moment. "It's time to go, I think."

As if on cue, Morrigan suddenly appeared behind Rei. "Hey you two, time to scramble!" she directed at Shinji and Rei. "Call from NERV. We've got one coming," she informed the two teenagers, while having noticed the other two boys. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Not at all, Morrigan. We're just about done. Although I think I said more than I ought to though."

Everyone wondered what he meant by that, although Rei acted as if she didn't care.

* * *

Shinji sat in his cockpit, eyes closed in meditation. He could feel the bloodlust boiling within him, but he had to maintain his cool. It wasn't a good time to let his body lose control. In fact, he had a hard time keeping his temper in check these days. As he thought back on it, he knew that his snappish behaviour was the result. He would have to work better on it.

He felt the cockpit jolt as he was dispatched. It was totally unnecessary for them to instruct him when they were prepping him, but he just couldn't be bothered to speak up. Finally, he opened his eyes again. "Here we go again," he muttered, his face an impassive mask.

This time, instead of piloting because of his father's blackmailing, he had a purpose. To protect Toji's sister. He had promised the boy, and damn if he was going to break it.

"Shinji, are you ready?" Misato asked.

"Prepped to go," Shinji answered, forcing himself not to snap.

"Of course he's ready. He my Shinji-boy, you know?" Morrigan commented from her place, leaning against the wall as she watched the preparations.

"Okay. First, neutralize the enemy's AT field, then fire a volley. Just like we practiced. Think you can handle that?"

"Of course," Morrigan snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, sure," he mumbled just loud enough for them to hear. 'As if the practices weren't enough.'

"Launch!" the captain commanded, once she was satisfied that Shinji was clear with her instructions. She also ignored Morrigan. If there was one thing she learnt from being around the woman, there's no way to shut her up. She had threatened the succubus (even though she didn't know Morrigan's true identity) with bodily harm, but ended up on the floor before she could blink. So now she ignored Morrigan as long as she didn't interrupt anything important.

"That slug's the angel?" Shinji asked the moment he came topside and deployed his field.

"Yes. Now let's do it like practice, okay?"

"Sure. Even though it's not going to work," Shinji told them before swinging his Eva from its place behind the building. Quickly, he fired shots in bursts of threes in order to prevent the shots from going all over the place. They had tried a full auto volley firing during training, and Shinji had commented that he was shooting to La-La-Land. Morrigan likened it to be wonderland.

Smoke quickly built up as the bullets impacted with the angel. That made Shinji slightly more cautious. The smokescreen prevented him from being able to verify the status of the angel. Once again he cursed the training. The training never caused a smokescreen so he was a little unprepared.

"You idiot! You hid the enemy with your own smoke!" Misato yelled, as if it was his fault.

"You never told me that the real bullets produced smoke upon impact!" he argued. Besides, I was doing what you told me to, didn't I?" he added. It was fortunate that he had kept an eye out for the angel, because a pair of glowing whips shot towards him. He slid under the whips, just in time to avoid being hit. His weapon wasn't so fortunate though.

As he glanced upwards to note the surroundings, he was surprised to see that the building next to him had been sliced in half. It reminded him of the lightsabers' effect from a rather old movie. Instantly, he doubled his guard.

"I'm sending you a spare rifle! Grab it!"

"It's pointless! Didn't you see that the rifle did nothing to it?" Shinji retorted as he pushed off from the ground, jumping in time to avoid the snapping tentacle arms of the angle. It moved so quickly it was almost like a lethal web.

Unable to back away quickly enough, he was thrown into a building. As if to mock him, the angle sliced up the building behind him like a piece of cake while not touching him at all. Unfortunately, his umbilical cable was also cut off in the process.

"Oh... shit," he muttered as the timer started. His eyes snapped to the tentacle which was shooting towards him, and he tried to roll to the side to avoid it. But before he could clear the ground safely, the tentacle had wrapped itself around his Eva's ankle, lifting him up and slamming him back down against the ground.

Before he could get his orientation back, he found himself sailing over the city as he was thrown into the air. "Gotta think of something, gotta think of something," he wrecked his mind, trying to find a way to stop the angel before he hit ground, and it came after him again. "Shut up, damnit!" he abruptly looked to his right and roared.

"**Boom!"**

Shinji felt his head snap backwards as his Eva landed heavily, sinking deep into the soft soil of the hill. "Ow... Fuck you!" he declared at the angel which was making its way towards him.

"Hmm?" he suddenly caught sight of something- or rather, some people- who weren't supposed to be there. "Just great! They just _had_ to find out what I was fighting, don't they!"

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him, returning him to the current situation at hand.

The tentacles sliced through the air, causing a swishing sound as it was about to strike him. In an act of physical and mental reflex, his Eva's hands shot up and seized the whips to stop them from hitting his Eva's body.

Instantly, he felt the burning sensation as the tentacles writhed, trying to break free of his grip. At the moment, there were three factors working against him. He was quickly running out of time, he couldn't move because of the two idiots, and his hands were 'full'.

"Misato!"

"Shinji!"

"Let them in the cockpit!" they ordered at the same time, knowing that it would keep the boys safe for the moment while they thought of a way to stop the angel.

"What makes you think you can allow unauthorized civilians into the entry plug?" Ritsuko demanded.

"Because Shinji said so," Morrigan spoke up. "And if Shinji says so, he's got a good reason to."

"Who are you to allow Shinji to do whatever he wants?" Ritsuko countered.

"I'm authorizing it!" Misato interrupted. "We don't have much time left! Shinji! Let them in now!"

Quickly, Shinji disconnected from the Eva, the plug turning black as it was ejected. "You two! Get in!" he commanded the two boys using the speakers.

He couldn't see them, but he heard them clambering into the plug as they whined. The moment they were behind his seat, he re-entered the Eva, interfacing with it once again. This time instead of the clear images which was usually displayed, the screens flickered like a faulty TV.

The other two boys were babbling non stop as they saw the angel up close, causing the screens to flicker worse. He tried to make his Eva move. It reacted sluggishly. "Damnit! You two are interfering with my connection! Shut up and calm down damnit!" he roared at them as he eyed his timer wearily.

Instead of calming down, their voices got louder.

Since the Eva responded to foreign bodies as noise when they are calm, the extreme noise, mental and physical, was causing Shinji's connection to almost break up. "Kyla! Shut them up! I don't care how!" he suddenly, ordered, causing the command deck to wonder who he was talking to.

Suddenly, everyone was blinded as the image transmitter flashed far brighter than the human eye could withstand. By the time anyone had recovered enough to see properly, it was evident that the other two boys were unconscious by the way they were silent and limp.

Instantly, the connection graph began matching up again, allowing Shinji to move. He quickly flung the angel away from him, trying to get distance.

"Shinji! Retreat now!" Misato ordered.

"No!" Shinji declared as he released his shoulder knife, pulling it out of its sheath in one fluid motion.

Misato fell silent for a moment. But she knew that whatever happens later, if the boy survives, he was in deep trouble. Way deep. Probably enough to chalk six feet. "Shinji! I'm ordering you to retreat!"

"No, damnit!" Shinji answered as he dashed towards the angel, sliding down the hill as he did. The angel waved its arms, preparing to strike Shinji the moment he came into range. Shinji outsmarted it, instead sliding under the tentacles like a footballer. Once he was in the clear, he pushed the knife upwards, jamming it deep into the glowing orbs, the core of the angel, the creature's very lifeline.

Sparks burst from the core as the sonic waves from the knife cut deeper into the orb. At the back of his mind, he felt the bloodlust trying to escape. And this time, he did not try to reign it in. "Yah!" he released a battle cry, driving the knife even deeper.

He knew that he was running out of time. He had known that this was the only course of action. Despite the fact that he was disobeying an order from his superior, he knew that it was better than being a sitting duck. He continued to roar.

The entry plug was blinking red, bathing them in the eerie light as the countdown continued. The angel's core was blinking similarly, flashing red and blue, indicating the damage he had incurred.

"5!"

"4!"

"3!"

Shinji was finally seeing the core crack. The single line was splitting off into webbing lines.

"2!"

The red light of the core was diminishing, losing its glow.

"1!"

Finally, the orb's light was gone totally, the core black as onyx.

The screens of the entry plug also died down, leaving them surrounded in darkness.

Finally, the two boys awoke, completely bewildered about what had happened.

Shinji was panting. "You fools. You should've stayed in the shelter. You had _any_ idea how close you two were from being crushed by me?" he asked tiredly. "Don't bother answering. Fools. That's what you two are. Maybe... I am too. Why do I even bother," Shinji leaned back against his seat.

Toji and Kensuke could only look at him and at each other guiltily.

* * *

School had resumed. The pupils were once again milling about the classroom, talking about the incident, gossiping about what happened. But there were only three who knew what exactly happened. Rei, the first of the three, was detached as usual, staring out the window, at the rain.

Usually, despite her appearance, she would be listening to the numerous conversations within earshot, trying to discern what the conversation was about. This time, she was thinking. Namely abut Shinji. She couldn't understand him. He was a complete enigma. Like herself.

Her ears pricked at the voice of Toji, despite the chatter of the class and the softness of his voice.

"It's been three days."

"You mean since we were chewed out?" Kensuke replied.

Rei could not understand the meaning of the phrase 'chewed out'. She had learnt that it was often used to indicate a severe scolding with occasional punishment, but she never understood how it was derived.

But she knew about the two boy's scolding though.

"No. Since he stopped coming to school."

"Who's 'he'?"

"The new kid, of course. What kinda fool are you?" Toji shot at Kensuke in an exasperated manner. "I wonder if he's avoiding us."

They did not know, but Rei knew what had transpired. Not that she was going to say anything. It was partially classified anyway.

"Are you worried about him?" Kensuke finally looked up from his computer.

"No, not exactly worried," Toji answered quickly.

Rei wondered why it was that when a person wants to deny the exact thing he or she was feeling, they would reply so quickly. Didn't they know that their reactions betrayed their emotions?

"Maybe he's trying not to see you, or he'll hit you. And Toji, for someone so tactless, you're pretty stubborn," Kensuke was working on his computer again. "Here. This is the new kid's number. Why don't you give him a call and apologise for trying to hit him that day?"

Toji glanced down, not replying.

Rei continued to look out the window, once again left alone to her thoughts, as she listened to the sound of the rain on the window pane.

* * *

Author's Notes:

OMG! 39 reviews for 2 chapters. O.o I'm absolutely stunned and overwhelmed. Still, thanks for the reviews! Some of them I've taken into consideration. For those reviewers, I thank you! I'm also glad to know that this story is very much well liked by most!

I think that this chapter isn't... up to standard. especially the part about the fight on the roof. but i couldn't think of anything else at the moment, so...

If you people think that Morrigan doesn't seem to be doing much, you're right. Her part isn't really up yet. But once Kaji comes into the picture, she's going to have her hands full. Oops. I shouldn't have said that.

I know that I'm moving this story along rather fast, but it's because I wanna get as much out as possible before my mind runs out of juice. When that happens, things start moving very slowly. Hope you people won't flame me for that! .

Anyway, I hope that you have enjoyed the Third Chapter of Guardian 'Angels', and will continue to support this story!

* * *

Notes to Reviewers:

ShardclawKusanagi: Sorry about your disappointment about not getting a Shinji-Morrigan, but you ought to look out for Shinji the good sharer. According to his review, he's going to start working on a Shinji-Morrigan. O.o

I'm glad you like my character portrays. I haven't really been that entirely patient with the characters at the moment, so you might see characteristic fluctuations. With good reason, of course. Nice guess, but you're off. I don't know of the other Darkstalker characters, so... As for the story, I've pretty much planning them as I go along. So try to give me ideas if possible! I'll do a small Toji-Hikari part, but they won't take the limelight. I like those two pairings too! Cheers!

Jacho: I know. But since I'm planning the story as I go along, it will gradually move away from the actual plotline. It's a... butterfly beating its wings at one place, cause a hurricane at another kinda thing. A chain reaction, if you may. I hope to be able to write up to your standard. Thanks for reviewing!

Firemagnet: Thanks for the complement, magnet. I try not to leave loose ends. I want the reader to understand what the characters are seeing, hearing, and feeling. I don't want people to get confused. I'm going to continue this story, even if it takes me ten years to complete!

Darkfusion: Unfortunately, no S-M pairing. As for the reasons why the characters are that way, they'll be revealed in the future. It might be amusing though. Lol. As for Morrigan making Gendo's life miserable, I'll say she might. Her part isn't up yet and once it is, you can expect her to harass Gendo. At least that's what I think. I'll try to update often, but no guarantees.

Adun: Ah yes, my greatest contributor. I really need to thank your for bringing it up that the characters were slightly OOC in the two chapters, and I've already done something about it. See if you can find it. . I know that Shinji isn't supposed to have much of a spine, but this is different from the norm. You'll understand why later in the story. It'll probably raise controversy, but I'll maintain it the way I want.

As for Morrigan killing Gendo's guards, I needed to establish her into NERV, and that was the only thing I could think up. It's also a spur-of-the-moment thing. I know Morrigan is way OOC, but I can't help it. I can't find any place to download Darkstalkers. Or buy the comic. I'm in Singapore, and you know how limited anime is over here. I'm glad you like my story despite the problems, and I'll try to keep it up. Thanks a lot, Adun!

Fury Cutter: I'll try, but no guarantees.

DJ: I did a bit of research on Morrigan, and so I know about her father. But I didn't know about Lilith having a sweet tooth. O.o I want to find the game, but PSone games are almost extinct here in Singapore. Thanks for letting me know that little detail!

Jace: Sorry to disappoint you, but it's a Shinji-Rei fic. I think Morrigan's too old for Shinji, but who knows? I might just do one if I get the inspiration. Keep tabs on Shinji The Good Sharer though. He might just do his own Shinji-Morrigan fic.

Rheaditto2: Glad that you liked chapter 2. I'm doing my best to cater to readers and I'm happy if they like the fic. )

Rune: I wish that I knew more about the Darkstalkers. It's impossible to find the anime or the games here. Still, I'll try to get my hands on them! I'll try to update often, but it'll be hard to tell if this rate keeps up.

Dany le fou: I would turn Gendo's dreams into nightmare, but since I love and respect Yui too much, I won't. As for the other people's reaction to Morrigan's presence, nope. She hasn't revealed her true colours yet. If you want a hint, try to understand what happened early in the chapter.

Sain from Fire: Hehehe. I could imagine that. Maybe I'll do just that when Morrigan finally reveals her true self. As for Asuka, I've got a rather nice plan for her. Well... nice for me, but maybe not so much for her. grins Kaji won't be having so much fun either. If he were real and if he were to know what I'm going to do to him, Kaji would die really early.

Aledeth: Boy, I'm blushing already. I'm glad that you really like this story, cos I like it too. You'll understand the thing about Shinji later. As for Morrigan, I decided to give her a childish personality because according to my research, some men would go after those women they think are bimbos and airheads. As for Morrigan sucking up more souls, she is. I simply left it vaguely because I'm not too focused on her yet. It's not her part yet. Like you, I hope to see more of the fic! XD

NefCanuk: Gendo won't be the only one who should tread carefully. evil grin you don't have to worry about Asuka though. She's got her part to play. even more evil grin

Firehedgehog: Yay! Great minds think alike, ne? V

Nicknak: I'm glad that you like this. I've never had much experience doing xovers, so I was rather worried. And you want chapter 3? You jus finished chapter 3! Haha!

Blah: Thank you, thank you! takes a deep bow

Hunter Noventa: I'd hate for that to happen. It gives me a sense of... incompetence.

Rusty Knights Production: I've never played Darkstalkers either! O.o I'll do my best to update often!

Shinji The Good Sharer: I can't wait for you to post the first chapter of your Shinji-Morrigan fic! ) as for all the information you gave me... O.O Interesting. I'll keep them in mind, but I'll keep my Morrigan the way she is. .

Jin Arashi: Close, but no cigar!

Animewatcher: You're almost correct. I'd say, you're a third correct. See if you can get what Shinji _really_ is. I doubt anyone can figure out! laughs evilly and in case you forgot, vampires can't stay in the sun, right? .V score one for me! Lol As for the other pilots... I've got plans for them. See if you can guess? Doubt so though. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Btw, as a hint, there are clues hidden in this chapter. Cheers!


	4. Chapter 4

Guardian 'Angels'

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1 please!

* * *

Dedicated to everyone. But there are a few of you, whom I hope will know that I love you, irregardless.

* * *

(**_Some Time After Shamsel's Destruction_**)

"Shinji. Why did you disobey my orders to retreat?" Misato asked the boy sternly, once he was showered and changed. "Granted that you managed to destroy the angel, but what would've happened if you hadn't?"

"If I didn't manage to kill it? The exact same thing which would happen if I had tried to retreat," Shinji answered, looking straight into her eyes without any fear. "Apparently, you weren't aware that the retrieval exit you wanted me to take was choked by rubble, were you? And of course you know that I wouldn't be able to reach the next exit in time. So basically, I would be a sitting duck while the angel triggers third impact."

Misato winced inwardly. She hadn't known about the blockage until after everything had been organized. And she had studied the plans for extraction points so she knew that Shinji was right in the assumption that he would not be able to reach it in time. "That is not the point, Shinji. What do you think would happen if you disobeyed my orders in another scenario and failed to destroy the angel?"

Shinji stared at his commanding officer's face, weighting his answers. "If you want the diplomatic answers, I'd say that we're screwed. If you want my actual answer, I'd say that if I disobeyed orders and failed to destroy the angel, it's a hopeless scenario."

Misato frowned. "You seem very confident of yourself, don't you, Shinji?"

"I won't say that. Cursed by myself, I would rather call it," he looked away.

"And just what do you mean by that?" Misato was quickly losing her temper. Shinji wasn't giving her answers she wanted, and Ritsuko wasn't going to forgive her for her earlier course of action so easily.

"There are many things you do not have to know, Misato. There are many things in the world you don't even wish to know about. You think angels are the only things which are dangerous to humanity? You don't even know half of it," he had turned back to face her, his eyes hard, cold, and metallic.

"You have no right to talk to me like that! I am your commanding officer and you ought to show me some respect at least!" Misato hissed. "This is the last time I'm warning you. If I give you an order, you will obey it. Or I'll have you charged. Is that clear?"

Shinji returned the glare. "So be it. But don't complain if nothing ends up the way you want it too," he told her steely, but without and malice. "I'm going back. And don't even try to stop me," he added as he got up, leaving the captain alone.

Misato sat down on the bench heavily after Shinji had left. She had not realised that Shinji would be so hard to handle. And there was something in his tone and his words which caused her to shiver. She hoped that what he said wouldn't be true.

* * *

(**_Three Days Later_**)

"What do you mean Shinji's been missing!" Ritsuko asked her friend as the scientist swivelled around to look at her.

"Two days ago, he had left the apartment looking rather angry, like he wanted to bite someone's head off. I didn't want to force him to go to school if he didn't want to, so I left him alone. When he didn't return that night, I thought that he was with a friend or something. But when by the next day he hadn't returned, I was getting worried. Today, I decided to let you know," Misato confessed. "He didn't even leave a note to tell Morrigan or me of his intensions."

"And the two of you call yourselves his overseer!" Ritsuko fumed. "What has Morrigan been doing?"

"She's looking for Shinji even as we speak. She promised to call once she finds him," Misato explained.

"What are the Section Two agents doing?"

"Uh..." Misato suddenly didn't know what she ought to tell her friend. It had been messy business since NERV had to keep the fact that its agents had been killed. "You watched yesterday's news?"

"Of course not. I don't have that much spare time on my hands at the moment, you know?" Ritsuko reminded her friend.

"Okay. To keep you up to date, the numbers of murders have increased. Particularly the ones which was the result of what appears to be a large animal attack. And what the news didn't know was that other than those the public knew about, quite a few of our Section 2 agents had been killed the same way," Misato explained. "Good thing is that Shinji hasn't been identified as any of the victims."

Ritsuko paled. She head heard about the murders and had even seen some of the pictures. The ones described by Misato had been very messy, very gruesome. And she could only hope that Shinji won't be found by whatever killed those people.

"But you know, we aren't the only ones worried about Shinji," Misato said, reminding the blond scientist to her presence. "Shinji had two friends who dropped by the apartment today to see if Shinji was fine since he had been missing school. You remember the two boys who were found outside the shelters and had to be taken into the entry plug?"

"As if I could forget," Ritsuko answered sourly.

"Anyway, Morrigan lied to them that Shinji's training at NERV at the moment and he had been kept busy so he didn't have time to go to school," Misato informed Ritsuko. "And I hope he'll be alright..."

"You know that we don't have much choice but to report this, right?" Ritsuko asked the captain, who nodded.

"I think I'm going to start looking for him personally. He's a very important person in NERV anyway," Misato sighed regretfully.

Ritsuko wanted to voice a question, but chose not to. 'So are you caring for him because of your duty? Or is it because you're starting to like the boy?'

* * *

Shinji knew that at where he was there would be little, if any, people. He was glad for it. The walk had cooled him down considerably too. He should never have left the anger stewing like that. His mentor had once said that if he did, he was liable to let it out at the most inopportune moment, and that would be disastrous.

The rustling of wheat made him turn to the noise. With the light of the setting sun, he could make out the silhouette of Aida. He stopped, wondering why the boy was here so far from the city.

"Hey Ikari!" the silhouette waved as Aida finally noticed Shinji. "What are you doing here?" he called as he came over.

"Taking a walk to cool off," he mumbled. "What about you?"

"I'm... well... playing war, you know?" Kensuke rubbed his hands on the back of his head sheepishly. "Let's head to the camp. We can talk there."

"Fine," Shinji nodded.

"Ikari, why haven't you been coming to school these days?" Kensuke asked once they were settled. "Was it because you got into trouble with your superiors?"

"Partly," Shinji answered vaguely. "Namely because I don't feel like going to school for a few days."

"By the way, Toji's kinda sorry for trying to hit you that day. His sister scolded him for that and told him that without the robot, she could've been killed. Kinda like what you said," Kensuke informed Shinji who simply nodded.

Seeing no further reaction from the brown haired boy, Kensuke went on. "You know, I really envy you. You get to live with two gorgeous women, you get to pilot the Evangelion, and you get to skip school too."

"Then you obviously don't know my father very much, do you?" Shinji finally spoke up, looking at Kensuke.

"What has your father got to do with your piloting?"

Shinji smirked in a bitter manner. "He's the commander of NERV."

"WHAT!" Kensuke jumped out of his seat. "You mean you're the son of the most important person in the whole of Japan?"

"I never said that," Shinji said lazily. "I said he was my father. But I'm not his son. I'm his tool," Shinji smirked. "That bastard doesn't give a damn about what you want. It's about how efficiently you finish the job. If you don't do it well enough, he sends you packing."

"How can you talk about your father like that?" Kensuke was shocked.

"Because he's father in name only. Deep down, I count him as a stranger, like those we see everyday on the streets, on the buses," Shinji answered. "Trust me. You don't want to work for him."

"Yeah... but a chance to pilot the Evangelion..."

"You don't know hoot about the machine, do you? You think it's a simple matter whereby you sit in the cockpit and control the robot?" Shinji asked Kensuke. "You don't know that you are controlling the Evangelion with not just your physical actions. Your mind is also connected to the Evangelion. If the Evangelion feels pain," he smirked sadistically, "so do you."

"Huh?" Kensuke asked, not understanding what Shinji meant.

"Never mind. You just better hope that you'll never get to pilot it, or you'll have nightmares the rest of your life," he said as he stood up and faced the wheat field. "And if you fools think you can sneak up on me, think again," he called out while Kensuke looked on in bewilderment.

A man wearing dark glasses and a jacket with the NERV emblem appeared from the foggy darkness. "Ikari Shinji, we are here to escort you back to headquarters in accordance with clause eight of the public security act."

"What if I don't feel like it?" Shinji asked.

"Then we will be compelled to use force to subdue you," the man answered. "Will you come with us?"

Shinji turned to Kensuke, his eyes a metallic glint. "Aida, you have a strong stomach for violence?"

"Eh? Kinda," Kensuke answered, still confused as to what was going on.

"Good," Shinji's smirk widened as he bared his fangs. Fangs, because his teeth were no longer nice and straight. His face had stretched, changing into a snout like a wolf's. But what caught everyone's attention was that his two eye teeth were extended longer than the others, almost like a sabre-toothed tiger. Hair started growing on his face while his hair changed from brown to reddish gold. "Because I don't feel like following you fools," he rasped.

Kensuke gasped and fell over his chair while the NERV personnel took a step back. "Shoot him! Take him down!" he ordered as he drew his own weapon and started shooting.

Shinji's muzzle twisted into a grin which would give Kensuke for days after that day. Overhead, the clouds parted to reveal a very orange, very round full moon. Shinji howled, throwing his arms back even as bullets were fired at him.

Kensuke watched in terror as he hid behind a tree large enough to give him protections from the bullets.

Finally, Shinji's clothes were ripped apart as his body grew as well, in proportion to his large head now. But instead of the coarse grey hair of most werewolf movies, Shinji's hair was reddish gold and slick, shining like silk in the light of the moon.

Many bullets had found their mark in his head and heart by now, but Shinji did not even seem to be bleeding, less say weakening.

Once his transformation was complete, Shinji started hunting, with the man who had came forth first being his first victim. Shinji leapt at him, covering the impossible distance with one jump, claws extended and fangs bared. He bowled into the man with such strength that one could hear the crack of his spine being shattered under the force.

As Shinji got up from the man, it was evidential that the man won't be paralyzed. Namely because where his heart was, there was a gaping hole.

The sabre-toothed werewolf threw his head back and dropped the still pumping heart of the agent into his mouth. Amidst the cries of fear and the shooting, he chewed on the heart, spurting blood from his snout. "Delicious," he rasped and grinned, striking fear in everyone present.

* * *

By the time Shinji returned from his hunt covered in the blood of every agent in the vicinity, and in human form, Kensuke was cowering behind the tree, whimpering in fear. There was a pile of vomit next to him, and his pants were wet.

Shinji took one look at the boy and started to dress, taking out the spare clothes he had brought with him. "Kensuke," he called to the bespectacled boy, causing the said boy to shrink back from him. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you," he assured the boy.

"R-r-really?" Kensuke asked, trying to maintain the distance between himself and Shinji.

"Yeah. There was quite a few of them and it's enough, even for my werewolf standards," Shinji answered. "Besides, I don't eat anyone under the age of 18, and anyone I like," Shinji explained, nonchalantly. "You didn't run when you saw me change, you didn't run when you saw me hunt, so I think I like you," Shinji smirked.

Kensuke nodded apprehensively. He had wanted to run. He simply couldn't get his limbs to move.

"Oh, by the way, Morrigan, you don't have to stay in bat form any more," Shinji stared at the bat hanging from the branch above Kensuke.

The bat screeched, then flew towards him, changing into a woman. Morrigan grinned as she stood staring at Shinji in her actual form.

Kensuke's eyes widened even more and his mind felt like shutting down. "W-w-w-what are you two?" he stammered.

Shinji contemplated the question, and then grinned at Morrigan in a sadistic way. "Your worst nightmares," he rasped.

Kensuke couldn't stand it any more. His eyes rolled back, and he fell backwards, sprawled on the ground.

Morrigan chuckled. "My, Shinji-boy. You're really much more than I expected you to be," she told him as she crossed her hands under her breasts. "No wonder you weren't afraid when you heard the news about the killings."

Shinji shrugged. "It's not a good idea to let everyone know what I am. I just wanted to have some fun with Aida. And I had to let my anger off on something," he explained. "At least my werewolf side is sated for the moment. There probably won't be any animal killings for a month."

"And what about your extra long eye teeth?" Morrigan inquired.

"These?" Shinji bared his vampire fangs. "I'm part vampire too," he revealed, smirking as Morrigan gaped. "Come on. Let's get Kensuke somewhere else where people would find him. We'll talk on the way," Shinji suggested.

Morrigan nodded and grabbed one of the unconscious boy's arms, lifting him up easily. Shinji grabbed the other just as easily.

"How can you be werewolf and vampire at the same time? It's not possible, from what I know," Morrigan told Shinji.

"I know it's impossible. I was bitten by a werewolf about half a year before I came here. A vampire saw me and killed the werewolf. He knew that I was dying and gave me his blood so that I won't die. By right, the vampire blood would destroy the werewolf cells, but for some reason, it didn't happen to me," Shinji explained about his origin.

Morrigan nodded in agreement. They had reached the road at the outskirts of Tokyo-3, a stretch often used by commuters. There, they dumped Kensuke.

"So what do we do now?" Morrigan asked once rid of their burden.

"We head back to the apartment. I want to get myself cleaned up. Then we'll go to NERV and see what Misato and my father decides to do with me," Shinji told her matter-of-factly.

* * *

Shinji whistled as he entered Gendo's office with Morrigan and two other agents escorting him. "Impressive."

"Silence, pilot," Gendo ordered without raising his voice, but sounded intimidating nevertheless. "You ran away from your guardian without informing anyone as to your intentions. The agents who were sent to look for you turned up missing. And the next thing, you stroll into this building as though nothing has happened. What is the meaning of this?"

"I never ran away. I went for a stroll that lasted for several days. As for your agents, obviously they haven't been reading the news or were just plain stupid," Shinji spoke his mind. "And you're also one of the above. And I think you read the news, so you can't be the first. You must be the second then," Shinji smirked.

Gendo's expression appeared unchanging, but Shinji knew that his eyebrow was twitching and that he was starting to get angry. Morrigan and Fuyutsuki were struggling to keep their face stoic.

"Pilot, you are bordering on disrespect," Gendo told him coldly.

"Am I? Oops! Sorry. But I thought I was returning the favour, an eye for an eye," Shinji gave his father a mock sweet smile.

"You will not talk back to me, pilot!"

"Fine. So what do you want?" Shinji asked, stopping his fun for the moment.

"I want to know the reason for your insubordination during the last battle against the angel. And why did you not let your guardian know when you went out for your... walk."

"Insubordination indeed. I do my best to help you destroy the angel and you accuse me of insubordination. For your information, I exercised my best judgement in exterminating the threat. I am following your footsteps after all. The end justifies the means? Heard of it? I got it from you. As for my walk, do I have to report to NERV every time I want to go piss?" Shinji asked. "Not that you won't know. Even the bathroom is bugged with a sound retriever."

"That's enough, pilot! You will be removed from active piloting and put under house arrest for a week!" Gendo slammed his hand on the desk.

"Sure. I'd appreciate that, but I will not allow you to send Ayanami into battle before she has fully recovered," Shinji warned his father. "But you know, I really want to leave this hellhole. You called me here so that I will pilot the Eva, right? Why can't you find someone else, someone who would listen to orders and not screw things up?" he asked his father.

Gendo was furious. He had never been spoken to like that before. "Take the pilot away!" he ordered. "Get the captain to talk to him. He's wasting my time."

The agents reached out to grab Shinji, but Shinji grabbed their wrists first. "I can walk by myself, thank you," he levelled a glare at each of them in turn.

Hastily, they withdrew their hands.

"Are you sure that the plans you made will work, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked the bearded man once they were alone again. "The third child isn't as predictable as you had expected."

"They will work. As long as we can destroy the angels, they will work," Gendo answered. 'They had better. And once it works, I'll see you again, Yui.'

_

* * *

Shinji jumped awake, looking around him as he woke up. Most of the students in the class were listening aptly to their sensei, while some had drifted off, like him. He glanced up at the clock, and smiled when he realised that it was almost time for classes to end. It was a good thing too, since it was already quite late._

_Shinji could never understand why his teacher wanted so much extra lessons, even though it was close to the exams. It was tiring, and all the lessons were usually repeats of what they had already learnt._

_Finally, the teacher turned away from the blackboard and looked at them, smiling as she did. "Alright, class. That's it for today. I know you're tired, and I'm sorry about that, but if you have to blame, blame the principle for it. It is regulations, much as I wish that we don't have to waste all these time, so I can't help it. Now, head on home!" she told the horde of student before her, resulting in a cheer and the sound of tables and chairs being moved as students scrambled to head home._

_As usual, Shinji was the last to go. He liked to wait for the class to be empty before he left. He disliked crowds. You would never know if something was to happen and you were caught in the middle._

"_Sayonara, Shinji," his teacher greeted as he passed her desk._

"_Sayonara, Miss Kaede," he bowed before leaving the classroom._

_Shinji's teacher looked at the retreating image of Shinji's back as he left. She sighed a little. She had been his homeroom teacher for several years already, and if there was anyone who knew about him better than she did, she would like to meet the person._

_Ever since the first day she had seen Shinji coming into the class, she felt the strange feeling that she should look out for him. Not that he was likely to get into trouble, no. in fact, it was quite the opposite. He was so quiet and shy and tended to either be left out, or leave himself out of any social events._

_She had noticed his lack of friends and had asked him about it, and his reply was that he didn't need one. No, wait. He had said that friends are unnecessary, and that he preferred to be alone. Yes. That's right. Still, she decided that if no one else were to be his friend, she would._

_Over time, they developed a friendship, and she learnt that there was more to Shinji than meets the eye. She found out about his unwillingness to love. Love, as in forms of familial relationships and friendships. She found out that he was living not with his parents, but his uncle and aunt. She found out about his problems, like bullying, and she tried to help him as best as she could._

_Gradually, her love for him changed into that similar to a mother's. It was around that time that Shinji decided to stay over at her house often. When she asked him about his guardian's reactions, she discovered that they didn't really care for the boy, instead only ensuring his well being because of the orders of his father and for the payment he was giving them. She became closer to him after that, treating him like her own child._

_And Shinji had reacted positively to her ministrations, but remained quiet and shy. That was the reason why she had been shocked one day when Shinji asked her why didn't she marry anyway. She had never known Shinji to ask such bold questions, but she answered him to the best of her abilities._

_She had once fallen in love with a man, and had been engaged to him. However, she had seen him with another woman while she was at a restaurant at a hotel having lunch with a client (she wasn't a teacher at that time). She saw her fiancé acting very intimately with the woman, but she kept her peace and questioned him about it only when he returned home._

_A fight ensued, with her fiancé claiming that she was spying on him. Finally, he told her that he didn't love her anymore and that he's had enough of her, and that they would be breaking up._

_She had become heartbroken and swore never to love again._

_Shinji accepted her answer with sympathy. In fact, he was crying with her by the time she had finished her story._

_And it was even later still, that she discovered that he wasn't like any normal human. She had found him at a park one day and was rather shocked at seeing him talk to someone. She should've been happy if he was talking to a normal person. But the aforementioned person had a pair of fox ears and nine tails, and she was **transparent**._

_Shinji nearly freaked when the ghost had pointed her out to him._

_In the end, she found out that Shinji could see and talk to ghosts. That was one of the other reasons why he didn't want to have friends. Back before he attended high school, when he was much younger, he told his friends about the ghosts, and only got laughed at which helped make him what he was._

_She accepted the ghost, whom Shinji introduced to her as Kyla, and so their relationship strengthened even more._

_Kaede felt sorry for the young boy as she thought back on what she had learnt about him, and swore to look after him like he was her own child. She would be his Guardian Angel._

_

* * *

Shinji felt rather apprehensive as he was walking to his uncle's house. He had the feeling that something was trailing him, and even Kyla's presence couldn't calm him._

_Kyla. His own 'guardian'. He had known her since young, except that she had been his mother's familiar at that time. And when his mother died, she had become his._

_As far as Shinji knew, the kitsune ghost was supposed to be an avatar for the fox god, whose name had been long forgotten. And the fox god had sent her to earth, to try to stop the problem which was the impending Third Impact._

_And so, by chance, she had met Yui Ikari, a shaman, whose abilities were hidden from everyone else save herself. A friendship between them brewed, and Kyla took care of Yui from adolescent to adulthood._

_And then came the time when Yui and Kyla met Gendo Ikari. Yui fell in love with the man, even though Kyla tried to oppose the scientist. Knowing that she would be unable to do anything once her friend had made a decision, Kyla could only look after Yui and try to advise the scientist._

_And when second impact had been initiated, NERV was established. Yui was one of the few people to be actively involved with the organization. Kyla went along upon discovering that their purpose was to prevent another such event from happening._

_When Shinji was born, Kyla was asked to take care of the child, a task the kitsune took up with much enthusiasm._

_Then, came the fateful day Yui was taken into the Evangelion unit._

_Kyla had been instructed by Yui that should anything happen to her, the kitsune was to be by Shinji's side, protecting him from harm. Kyla did as she was instructed, and stayed with Shinji during the time the organization was tossed into upheaval, and when he was sent to his uncle's custody._

_With him she stayed, being with him when others would not, comforting him when others did not. And so, the boy lived in the world created for him, unloved and unloving, avoiding contact with people as much as he could._

_She was his Guardian Angel, sent by heaven to look after him, he believed. And the role of Guardian Angel, she had become._

_Unfortunately, she was unable to play her role well enough that night; as Shinji's worse fears came true._

"_Ah!" the boy screamed as something large suddenly pounced on him from the top of a roof, slamming into him with its claws outstretched, its fangs bared. "Get it off me, get it off me!" he screamed as the creature bit the arm the boy was using to flail about._

_Unfortunately for Shinji, they were at the deserted part of town, where no one lived. Hence, no one came to the boy's rescue. Kyla quickly possessed the boy, taking control of his body. She blocked the pain from reaching the boy's consciousness before she ripped his arm from the jaws of the creature._

_:Werewolf: she hissed at the creature, causing it to smile._

"_Yes. Werewolf," the creature rasped, before biting down on Shinji's shoulder._

_Kyla was hit by excruciating pain she had never experienced for so many years. But she knew that Shinji's life was her priority. Ignoring the pain, she lashed out at the werewolf with Shinji's legs, trying to kick it off her._

_The werewolf was dislodged, but with its mouth filled with Shinji's flesh. Kyla couldn't feel the right side of Shinji's body, and knew that it meant trouble. Turning tail, she ran, trying to put distance between herself and the werewolf. But it ran up to her with ease, jumping at Shinji's back with claws reaching to tear flesh._

_Kyla screamed in pain as her back was slashed, her flesh tearing open, the spine dangerously close to being torn in half. She stumbled, causing another wave of pain which Kyla gritted down as she felt her face lying on the cold ground, smeared with a warm liquid. She didn't need to see to know that it was Shinji's blood._

_She reached for his consciousness, only to find emptiness. She gasped. That wasn't supposed to happen, unless Shinji was on the verge of dying. She cursed herself at being unable to protect her charge. She had forgotten that he was human. The pain, the loss of blood and the shock was killing Shinji._

_She wanted to turn Shinji's body around, but was unable to as pain wrecked her nerves. She had failed in her task. She had been unable to protect Shinji, or found out about third impact. She wanted to cry._

_The werewolf stood over Shinji's body triumphantly as it laughed with a rough evil rasp in its voice. "It's no use. A puny human would never be able to outrun or outfight a werewolf."_

"_No, but a vampire could," a second voice hissed, dangerously close to the werewolf._

_Doing her best to tilt her face upwards, she saw the massive body of the werewolf being tossed into a wall by the newcomer. 'A vampire?'_

"_Are you alright?" the vampire asked as he came close to her while keeping an eye on the werewolf who was starting to recover._

"_No," Kyla gasped. "My master! He's dying!"_

"_Damn! Find him! Try to keep him awake! Throttle him if you have to!" the vampire instructed as he rushed the werewolf who retaliated by slashing._

"_I-I'll try," Kyla answered weakly as she tried to anchor herself to Shinji's physical body while finding his soul._

_The vampire leapt into the air, speeding towards the head of the werewolf, a katana drawn. "Die, werewolf!"_

_The werewolf ducked into a roll kicking out from behind the vampire, slamming the undead into the wall, causing the piece of concrete to break apart. Quickly, it dashed at the debris, claws aiming to impale._

_The vampire bounced backwards, boosting himself with a push. The moment he felt solid ground beneath his feet, the vampire propelled himself into the torso of the werewolf. The werewolf span sideways, bringing its elbow down between the shoulder blades of the vampire who slammed into the ground._

_Quick as lightning, the vampire span face up before he hit the ground, tossing a dagger hidden within his coat. He cursed as he missed the werewolf's heart. Still, the silver managed to cause the werewolf pain, gaining the vampire some time._

_And time, he knew, was something the boy and his spirit guardian didn't have. He slashed at the lupine creature, advancing with each step the werewolf retreated._

_The werewolf dodged under the flashing blade, head butting the vampire, throwing him back into the pile of debris. Snarling, it sped over to where the vampire was, grabbing the vampire. The vampire twisted in the werewolf's grip, slipping out of his coat and kicked upward while doing a back flip, feeling his heel connecting with the werewolf's jaw. Pushing his strength to increase his speed, the vampire was upon it before it could re-orient itself._

_He pummelled the werewolf's with blows too quickly for it to block even as he reached for his katana._

_Half a second later, there was an ear piercing roar as the sharp silver blade found its mark between the werewolf's ribs, deep in its heart. The katana flashed again, as the vampire withdrew the blade and decapitated the werewolf._

"_Sorry about taking so long," the vampire panted as he limped over to where Shinji lay. "What's his condition?"_

"_His body's been too badly injured. And he's gone into shock," Kyla replied, gasping with each word she spoke and every breath she drew. "It's too late even if there's a doctor."_

"_Damn... there must be some way to save him!" the vampire declared._

"_Whatever it is, it had better be fast. I'm losing him!"_

"_... I know of only one way, but it'll curse him the rest of his life."_

_

* * *

Pain._

_That was what Shinji felt when the creature, whatever it was, fell upon him like a tiger on its prey._

_Shock._

_That was what Shinji felt when he saw the visage of the werewolf, disbelief that such a thing existed on earth._

_Wonder._

_That was what Shinji felt as Kyla took over his body, controlling him, blocking the pain from him._

_Anger._

_He was angry. Not at his assailant, but himself, his inability to do anything, while they did their best to help him._

_Guilt._

_That was the greatest emotion he was feeling, as he 'felt' the spirit suffering in his stead._

_Shinji's world turned red as those feelings shot through his mind. 'It was like they said,' he thought to himself ironically. 'Feel your life flash before your eyes as you see your death coming.'_

_He was very guilty. His mother. Looked after him, caring for him. Kyla. Looking after him, doing her utmost to protect him. Kaede. Tried to understand him, gave him the love he had forgotten, had rejected._

_And he was going to let them all down, because he was such a weak-willed person. He closed his eyes, even though it didn't help. The world around him, falling into a state of darkness._

_The darkness..._

_He felt it calling out to him, assuring him that he would finally be free of the guilt, the anger... The sadness._

_He felt himself falling, falling, sinking into the murky depths of the darkness. He felt himself slowly lose the sensations in his body, first the fingers and toes, and slowly to his arms and legs._

"_Shinji!"_

_His descent stopped as he heard a voice calling to him, echoing deep in his mind._

_His mind..._

_He was also losing his ability to think, as he tried to remember who the voice belonged to. It was so soft and familiar._

"_Shinji!"_

_His memories flitted away from him, even as he tried to grasp them, to find out who it was. Meanwhile, a second voice contended with the first, telling him to ignore the soft voice, telling him to forget everything, to let go of his past._

_He was tempted. Oh very tempted. But there was desperation in the voice which had called out to him, sadness filling the two syllables which was his name._

"_Shinji! You can't die yet!"_

_Dying? He was dying? What was dying? He tried to remember, to comprehend the voice's words. Whatever it was, it was... not something he had expected. But what was he expecting?_

_He continued to float in the tunnel of darkness, his mind relishing the feeling of the bliss he felt. No worries, no pain, no..._

_Guilt._

_His smile disappeared as he pondered the word, trying to match word to emotion. He was unsuccessful, as the other voice called to him, telling him to forget about the guilt._

_Bit by bit, he felt himself being drawn deeper into the darkness. The sweet, soft voice was growing smaller and smaller, until it finally disappeared._

_Suddenly, he was snatched from the peace rudely, a hard, bony hand gripping his arm. His eyes shot open as he looked towards his arm. A cloaked figure was holding him in one hand, a scythe in another._

_As opposed to the time it took for him to forget everything, he suddenly remembered everything. He screamed as Death kept its grip on him, pulling him down towards the darkness even more quickly than he had been falling._

_A sudden flash or orange and red seared his eyes, the heat permeating his skin. He blinked, finding himself in a world of infernos, demons with descriptions beyond words surrounding him, snarling and panting, like a big cat hunting for prey._

_He was in hell._

_He wanted to scream, but couldn't. He looked to the side, where Death was still standing. The spirit gestured to the area before them with its scythe. It was oval, like an arena._

"_Shinji Ikari," a seductive voice suddenly came from behind him._

_He spun around to see a gorgeous woman standing behind him. And she was nude, her female assets exposed for all to see._

_Shinji wanted to blush. He couldn't._

"_I am Lucifer," she introduced, "My other most commonly used name is the Devil."_

_Shinji paled. Being in hell was supposed to be bad. But being in the presence of the Devil himself –No. Herself, Shinji corrected- was supposed to be worst thing anyone would want to avoid._

"_Worry not, my dear," she smiled, her sharp canines flashing in the light of the fires burning around them. "You are rather... fortunate, you know?" Lucifer chuckled._

_Death nodded its head next to Shinji._

_The boy didn't know if it was a good thing or not._

"_You were supposed to die, Shinji. After the vicious attack by the werewolf, you were supposed to die. But you are a very special individual, and by the right of all gods, you were to be kept alive."_

_Shinji couldn't understand, but did not need to voice his confusion._

"_You are the one, Shinji. We cannot allow the destruction of all humankind, before the time has arrived. So should you be sent to any of us, you were supposed to be sent back to the mortal world. However..." Lucifer broke off, her smile widening even wider._

_Shinji knew he should feel fear, but he was calm, as though he had known the great Devil since the time he was born._

"_We did not expect a vampire to try and save you. Which leads to the current situation."_

"_Which is?" he finally spoke._

"_You will witness a fight between the two kinds of blood in yourself. Werewolf and Vampire. Should the Werewolf side win, you would be doomed to life as a werewolf for eternity, unless you die. And should the other win, you would be cursed to the eternal life of a blood drinker. Unless, of course, you die," Lucifer explained._

_Shinji felt sick. This was a fight over him, a battle to see which curse he would be burdened with._

_Before them, an oversized wolf walking on its hind legs entered on one side, a man dressed in a cloak emerged from the other._

_Both sized each other up on opposing ends, as they waited for the signal to start._

_A deafening gong was sounded, indicating for them to start._

_Before Shinji could blink, the two combatants were in the middle of the arena, engaging each other, moving far too quickly for Shinji to see._

_The fight was a flurry of claws, fangs, fists and the vampires flying cloak, each targeting to take the other out while avoiding being hit. The demons around the trio were roaring in exhilaration, as though they could see every aspect of the fight. Shinji did not doubt that, of course._

_It didn't take long for blood to be drawn, caused by the vampire doing a heel drop on the werewolf's snout. Quickly, the fight proceeded to become bloodier, the ground being stained by the crimson liquid._

_And as the battle drew on, Shinji noticed something. The werewolf had the advantage of brute strength and natural weapons, but the vampire had speed and agility. And Shinji knew that in most fights, the one who was faster, more agile would usually come up tops. Apparently, this was such a case._

_But Lucifer was watching the fight with a strange frown. "That's very odd. Usually, the werewolf would've lost by now. No offence, but it's usually the vampire blood which reigns superior. But this fight is drawn, neither side seeming to win."_

"_Really? I don't know," Shinji admitted and started watching the fight with more interest._

_By the time the two combatants had paused, they were equally bloodied, equally tired. The vampire was watching the werewolf wearily and vice versa. Finally, they dropped into a fighting position._

"_Looks like they're going to have one last shot at each other," Lucifer commented. "They obviously can't take much more."_

_Shinji leaned forward, squinting to see better as the werewolf and the vampire charged each other. Like him, everyone else leaned forward for a better look._

_Finally, with an enormous roar from each other, they clashed._

"_Gah!" Shinji cried out as he was suddenly blinded. "What's happening!"_

"_I don't know, Shinji, but take care! Maybe we'll meet again next time!" Lucifer answered, her voice and laughter growing softer._

* * *

"_Shinji! Wake up! Please!" Kyla's voice cut across sharply, causing him to jerk up._

"_Ah!" he screamed as he sat up, still blinded._

"_Oh thank god you're fine, Shinji!" Kyla sobbed, throwing her arms around his neck as the boy regained consciousness._

_Shinji opened his eyes wearily, to see Kyla draped over him, sobbing into his chest. A shadow appeared over him._

"_How do you feel, kid?"_

"_... painful," he replied, before he fell unconscious again. And when he woke up again later, there was no recollection of what had happened during that time he was in the presence of Lucifer. Save for a flash of red hair._

* * *

Author's notes: Uh... hi, everyone!" smiles sheepishly This chapter seemed kinda weird, don't you think? With Shinji dying and stuff. But I felt compelled to write all those feelings since I was in the mood for contemplation. ButI still feel like this chapter sucked. It doesn't have the kind of essenceI want in a good story.

The main point of this chapter was to establish Shinji's past, and what he is. If you're still wondering about his apparent personality changes, it's because he has three sides. For those who can't figure it out, he's werewolf/vampire/human all in one.

I know it's not possible, but it's my insane fic, my insane idea! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Choke. Cough, gag, clutches chest and dies of a heart attack

Shinji (vampire): Moron. picks up Author and tosses him into a swimming pool which appears out of nowhere.

Blurb! Wakes up Sorry. Am feeling kinda insane at the moment. Anyway, hope you people reading this story enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to flame me if you don't like it though.

PS: Anyone can guess what's going to happen in the future? XD

* * *

Note to Reviewers:

Hands Full: whistles No comment about what.

Hmm...: You missed it by a bit. I know the thing about the werewolf would be like copying Gambit1, but this isn't about Shinji being a werewolf. It's quite different, actually.

Animewatcher: Finally someone who almost understood what I wanted to do. Congrats! Have you been reading Buffy? Cos the thing about the 'unnatural creatures being attracted to Tokyo-3' is like Buffy's town and the Hellhole thing. Unfortunately, he's not a psychic. More details will be revealed in the future! chuckles evilly

Firehedgehog: It was great talking to you, Fire! You unknowingly got my mind to think of new ideas to add to my fic even though it would seem like all we did was talk about our insanity... .''' neway, chat with you again soon!

DarkFusion: Wonder if I surprised you with this twist. Wonder if you actually thought that there were two other killers beside Morrigan. I'm Evil! XD Anyway thanks for the info page. I got a bit more info about the charas. .

Supereva 01-02: Thanks for being so understanding about the Shinji/Rei pairing. I hope this chapter was good enough. As for Asuka... I don't hate her, I won't bash her, but I intend to do something evil to her in this story. But then again, I've been very evil to most of the characters already. Haha. I'll try to reach the episode where Asuka appears as soon as possible, but no guarantees!

NefCanuck: Here's the next chapter awaited eagerly by yours truly! Wait. What did I say? X.X anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll do my best to make this an excellent fic!

DJ: I couldn't find the web site, DJ. Sorry about that. Feel free to e-mail me with the address if you want to. I would very much want to get a PSP, but I can't. I've only gotten a PS2 recently so I can't afford to get a PSP. I'll look into it though! Thanks for suggesting!

Rune: You're welcome! I think it's a good idea to get a bit more personal with my reviewers so that I can understand more about how they think of this story, and how I should work on it to prevent it from straying too far. And I already got a heart attack points above read the author's notes! Hahaha!

Knight Two: Thanks! I downloaded the OVA, but there doesn't seem to be the series there. Thanks for suggesting the webbie though! I appreciate it.

Shinji the Good Sharer: Sorry, Shinji, but I didn't have the time to visit your website. I'll do it once this is posted, k? Sorry about that! I look forward to reading your fics!

NickNack: The big mystery is revealed! poses with a florish Shinji (Werewolf) grabs Author and tosses him offstage. Shinji: Fool.

chaosKosmos: Well, I decided to do this partially because I was getting bored with most of the normal sotries, so I did it mainly for my entertainment. Optimus suggested that I put it up, and now I'm glad that I did. Cheers!

Sain and Kent of the Cavalier Knights of Fire Emblem: bows Thanks for the reply to my story. I never knew that I was held in such high esteem, and will do my best to deserve the position! BTW, you kinda gave me an idea, did you know? snickers evilly

ViVi239: WOW! Thanks, Vivi. I never knew that I managed to do something so insane and get a good review. As for Morrigan being giddy... well, I couldn't help it. I was going over the aspects of kawai-ness and kinda went overboard with Morrigan. Don't worry. I'll rectify that problem. Cheers!

Adyen: I never got to watch/read any of the OMG series, so I don't know about that... still, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

AboeUmbra: Wonder no more! The truth behind Shinji's past is revealed! XD


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